The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has welcomed a new member to its zebra herd with the birth of Astra, a female Plains zebra foal.
Astra was born Monday, Oct. 19, in Expedition Africa and weighed about 82 pounds at birth. She is the daughter of Calypso and Mars and joins her mother, brother Atlas and relatives Aurora and Lyra in the zebra habitat along Predator Pass.
Her name, Astra, is Greek for “star” and continues the space-themed names used for the Zoo’s zebras.
“Our zebra herd continues to grow at the OKC Zoo,” said Bill Smith, the Zoo’s curator of hoofstock. “This birth is significant to help grow the zebra population in human care.”
Guests can see Astra and the rest of the herd – also known as a dazzle – in their habitat, weather permitting.
Plains zebras are the smallest and most common of the three zebra species and are native to the savannas, grasslands and open woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. The species is listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with habitat loss contributing to population declines.
Zebra foals develop quickly after birth, typically standing and walking within 10 to 20 minutes and running within about an hour. Each zebra also has a unique stripe pattern.
At the OKC Zoo, zebras share habitat space with wildebeest, reflecting a relationship seen in the wild in which the two species graze, migrate and remain alert for predators together.
The zebra habitat is part of Expedition Africa, presented by Inasmuch Foundation.
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