FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                  July 13, 2009

CONTACTS:

Candice Rennels:        (405) 425-0298, (405) 412-6172, cell or crennels@okczoo.com

Tara Henson:               (405) 425-0219, (405) 919-9038, cell or thenson@okczoo.com

OKC ZOO WELCOMES BABY ZEBRA

We’re seeing stripes at the Oklahoma City Zoo! A male Grevy’s zebra foal was born on Sunday, July 12 to parents Darasa, 11, and Tanga, 14. This is Darasa’s fourth birth at the Zoo. See our newest resident on Wild Dog Drive with his mom daily.

The Grevy’s zebra is the largest of the three zebra species and originates from parts of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. Although foals are born with brown stripes and fuzzy coats, they grow into their unique black-and-white stripes by one year of age. These stripes allow them to blend in to their natural habitat. Foals weigh 80 to 125 pounds at birth, but can grow to be over 900 pounds as adults!

Unlike other types of zebras, Grevy’s zebras face a dire extinction crisis. Over 15,000 of these animals roamed the savannas of Africa in the 1970s, but scientists predict under 3,000 remain in the wild today. The Zoo supports conservation efforts to save the Grevy’s zebra from a grim fate, including participation in a Species Survival Plan (SSP) through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This SSP allows the Zoo to work with AZA-accredited organizations to help ensure the survivability of the Grevy’s zebra for future generations.

Visit the Oklahoma City Zoo today, Oklahoma’s #1 attraction and one of the top three family-friendly zoos in the nation. The wild is calling! Located at NE 52^nd and Martin Luther King Blvd., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111, in the heart of Oklahoma

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