Zurich, Switzerland – Zurich Zoo has welcomed the first Grevy’s zebra foals to explore the Lewa Savanna exhibit visible to visitors after a short period in a quiet stable area.

The first foal arrived on the night of October 4 after a 13-month gestation, followed by a second birth two days later. A third foal is expected in the coming days. Both earlier births proceeded without complications.

The stallion Rashidi, transferred from Lisbon in summer 2024, is the father of the offspring. After about a week and a half of acclimatisation, the young zebras are now venturing into public-facing parts of the Lewa Savanna.

“These cubs are the first Grevy’s zebras born at Zurich Zoo. This is a great success for our commitment to the conservation breeding program and for the preservation of this critically endangered species. So far, the offspring are developing very positively and are now curiously exploring their habitat,” says Zoo Director Severin Dressen.

Grevy’s zebras (Equus grevyi) are the largest and rarest zebra species, with dense narrow stripes and longer development times than other zebra species. Their populations fell steeply from about 20,000 to roughly 2,500–3,000, and they now face pressures from poaching, habitat loss and competition with livestock.

Zurich Zoo has participated in the EAZA-coordinated EEP since 2019 and supports conservation work in Kenya through the Lewa project, where recent efforts helped raise the local Grevy’s population to about 350 animals.

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