Monarto Safari Park has some great news – a tiny and beautifully patterned zebra foal has joined their wild family!

The little stripy zebra foal, the 14th addition to the herd, was born on Sunday morning in an ‘off limits’ area and has been busy settling in under the careful watch of mum Gina.

Keepers are making sure to give the youngster and mum, aged 13, some space so at this time they’re unsure as to whether it’s a boy or a girl.

Assistant Curator Anna Bennett says: “Mum and baby are doing really well. The little one is sticking pretty close to mum so far.

“There is plenty of space for them so they are keeping to themselves and having plenty of bonding time.

“The foal is looking really strong and healthy and feeding well so that’s excellent news.

“Gina is an experienced mum so she’s watching the foal brilliantly and making sure it feels comfortable within the herd and around keepers,” finished Anna.

The Plains Zebra is classified as near-threatened by the IUCN. Contrary to popular belief, the zebra population in the wild has declined in 10 out of the 17 range states since IUCN Red List assessments. Threats to the Plains Zebra include livestock farming, ranching, hunting, trapping, drought and war and civil unrest.

As a leading conservation charity, Monarto Safari Park is working to save species like the Plains Zebra from extinction. Zoos SA’ s mission is to save animals from extinction and to connect people with nature.

During the current period of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoos SA is connecting with animal lovers through a range of interactive online services including live stream cameras, Facebook Lives and Keeper Cam. Visit www.zoossa.com.au/zoo-to-you/ for full details.