A Chapman’s zebra foal, only a few weeks old, stays near its mother while taking in the surroundings of its new home at Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire.The as yet unnamed foal was born on 5th June to twelve year old first-time mother Sarah. As one of the oldest and lowest ranking females in the group, Sarah hadn’t previously shown any signs of interest in mating with Dampy, the foal’s father, so it was to some surprise when she became pregnant. Usually dominant females within the group give birth, so the foal is an unexpected delightful addition to the herd. This new arrival marks the Park’s forty- fifth zebra birth.
Jamie Craig, Curator of Cotswold Park said, “We are always delighted with any birth at the Park but to arrive at work to the sight of a new born foal ambling around the zebra and rhino paddock was especially satisfying – watching the youngster settling in with the herd and familiarizing itself with the rhino under the watchful eye of its mother was a real treat for the visitors on the day. We look forward to watching it develop, hopefully with slightly more “African” weather!”
The new foal shares its large paddock not only with its family of Chapman’s zebras (Equus burchellii chapmanni) but with three white rhinos. Both fascinating species have been at the Park for over thirty years.
