Israel's Ramat Gan Zoological Center has succeeded with its first birth of an extremely rare Somali Wild Ass Foal on the 26th of April, Isreal's 64th Independence Day. The newly arrived foal was appropriately named Israela. Anticipating a 12-month gestation period, keepers kept the foal's father and mother separate until last Spring so that their baby would be born in the most favorable weather conditions. During mother Yelenyo's pregnancy, she was separated from father Abeba so that she would have a peaceful and interruption free gestation period.

Photo credit: Tibor Jäger

The Somali Wild Ass is critically endangered with only 350 wild individuals remaining in its native Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. There are only 130 individuals in captivity worldwide.