The OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden sends this information as posted below:
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the newest member of the herd with the arrival of Atlas, a Plains zebra foal born August 9, 2025 in the habitat at Expedition Africa presented by Inasmuch Foundation.
Born to mother Calypso (9) and father Mars (14), the young male is now the sixth member of the herd that also includes big sister Selene, adult female Nebula, and foal Aurora.
“This is the second zebra birth we’ve had since the herd joined the Zoo in 2024 and we’re excited for our guests to meet the newest member of our animal family,” said OKC Zoo’s Curator of Hoofstock, Bill Smith. “While everyone expects black and white stripes, zebra foals are actually born with soft, fuzzy fur with brown stripes which will darken to black during their first year.”
Visitors can see the progression of zebra coloration as Selene’s stripes have already turned black, Aurora’s stripes are changing from brown to black, and Atlas’ fur is much fluffier with brown stripes.
“We hope that seeing the family dynamics of the Plains zebra herd will make an impact on our guests and inspire them to take conservation action to help preserve this species and other African species and their habitats,” said OKC Zoo executive director and CEO Dwight Lawson.
Zebras have a lengthy gestation period, between 11 and 13 months, but they’re ready to move quickly to escape from predators upon birth. Foals can stand and walk about 10 to 20 minutes after they’re born and can run after about an hour.
With their distinctive striped coats, zebras are one of Africa’s most iconic animals. These social animals live in large herds ranging across Africa’s scrublands and savannas. Zebras are grazers and play an important role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. Their constant grazing helps prevent the overgrowth of certain plants, which leads to more biodiversity. All zebras have black coats with unique white stripe patterns, like fingerprints.
Plains zebras are the smallest and most common of the three species of zebra. The species is endemic to the savannahs, grasslands, and open woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. Wild populations of Plains zebras have declined due to loss of habitat and they are listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Guests to Expedition Africa will notice the zebra and wildebeest habitats are being combined for a new, multi-species space, with completion expected by the end of September. Zebra and wildebeest share a symbiotic relationship, as zebras eat taller grass and leave the shorter, more nutritious new grass for the wildebeests. They are also great partners in herd defense, combining the zebras’ excellent eyesight and loud warning brays with the wildebeests’ superior hearing and sense of smell to detect and warn of predators.
“The zebra and wildebeest won’t be put together until the foal is large enough to keep up with the zebra herd,” Smith stated. “They will graze near each other and react together if something startles them. It will be a great representation of what the savanna in Africa naturally looks like.”
Keeping with the space-themed names for the Zoo’s herd, the Hoofstock care team selected Atlas, inspired by the NASA program, ATLAS.
Gather your herd for a visit to Expedition Africa, the Zoo’s newest and largest ever habitat expansion, to see the new foal, as well as the state-of-the-art Giraffe House, Love’s Pachyderm Building, Predator Pass, and more.
The Oklahoma City Zoo’s regular daytime hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry at 4 p.m. Now through Labor Day, Monday, September 1, ZOOfriends members can enter early at 8:30 a.m. to beat the heat. Avoid the entry lines and purchase advance Zoo admission tickets online at okczoo.org/tickets. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, and Oklahoma City’s Adventure District.
Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. Zoo more with a ZOOfriends membership! As a ZOOfriends member of the Oklahoma City Zoo, enjoy free admission for 12-months, plus additional benefits and discounts. You will also be supporting the Zoo’s animal family, education programming, and conservation initiatives both locally and globally. Join or renew today at www.okczoo.org/membership.
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