Como Zoo is happy to announce the successful birth of a female zebra foal to Grant’s Zebra “Minnie.” Mom and baby are both doing well, enjoying the oohs and aahs of visitors. The baby zebra was born sometime during the overnight hours, May 23rd into May 24th. When the zookeepers arrived this morning, they discovered the foal up, walking strong, and closely shadowing its mother, Minnie.

The birth of the foal was not a surprise. “Minnie was getting very big; we knew it was a matter of days before her baby would make its appearance,” said Jill Erzar, Senior Zookeeper at Como Zoo. “There were no complications and mother and baby appear to be doing great.”

Minnie and her foal can be seen by the public in the outdoor Zebra and Kudu exhibit daily from 10am-6pm.

The gestation period for zebras ranges from 10-12 months. A newborn zebra’s stripes will turn from brown to black sometime between the first 9-18 months of life. Como is home to Grant’s Zebras, which are commonly found in the grassy plains of eastern Africa including the countries of Kenya and Ethiopia.

Father, Ulysses, sired the newborn. This is Minnie’s fourth offspring. Como’s zebras are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) breeding population.

The chance to help name the foal will be included as part of an extraordinary new event, “Como Quest”, on June 4 & 5. Como Friends latest event, Como Quest, is a family friendly adventure that is a mission through the Zoo grounds. Como Quest is a wild exploration designed for multigenerational fun, as kids and adults work together to unlock conservation clues, collect rewards, and uncover exciting new secrets about animals, plants and the planet we share. Teams will also vote to name the new baby foal. With an interactive smart phone app and an adventurous spirit, your team of treasure hunters will dig deep into Como’s amazing animal and plant collections, while supporting the best care possible for the animals and plants and free admission that is so important to our community. For information and tickets for Como Quest go here: https://comofriends.org/events/como-quest/

Sponsor the Baby Zebra! Sponsoring an animal makes a great gift – that keeps giving back. Animal sponsorships are a unique way to help Como Park Zoo and Conservatory with its wildlife conservation efforts. They support enhanced habitats and efforts to maintain the best care possible for the animals, including the zebra, at Como Zoo. To purchase, visit Garden Safari Gifts at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, call 651-487-8229 or go online to comofriends.org.

Photo credit Susannah Baudhuin