A rare Grevy's zebra was born at the Bioparco in Rome

Compared to the common zebra, the Grevy's zebra has narrower, thinner and denser stripes, is taller and has larger ears

Photo credit:Massimiliano Di Giovanni - Bioparco archive

ROME – Pink ribbon at the Bioparco of Rome: a female Grevy's zebra was born, species that risks disappearing from the planet.The birth took place on the night between 2 and 3 September, mother Bella did everything alone: in the morning the guardians of the herbivore department found the little girl standing, lively and in excellent health. These days the filly always stays next to her mother, who nurses her.The color of its stripes is more brownish, when it becomes an adult it will take on a black-white color.

The mother Bella was born in 2006 in the Parco Natura Viva of Verona, the father Kye has no longer been present at the Bioparco since June because he was transferred to the Ostrava zoo, in the Czech Republic, as part of a conservation project for the species, given the 'importance of genetic line of the two females present at the Biopark.In the enclosure, in fact, there is also Janinka, 17 years old, coming from a French zoological facility.

Compared to the common zebra, Grevy's zebra has narrower, thinner and denser stripes, is taller and has larger ears. “We are very happy for this birth - underlines the president of the Bioparco Foundation, Paola Palanza - which contributes to the conservation programs of this species, considered at serious risk of extinction.The Grevy's zebra is in fact listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of threatened species."

“The population - he continues - it has suffered an 80% reduction in the last thirty years and currently there are only two thousand animals present in nature. The main threats to this animal are competition with domestic livestock, scarcity of food resources and drought, disease transmission from domestic livestock, habitat reduction, as well as poaching."

“The Biopark of Rome - concludes Palanza - actively participates in the protection of the Grevy's zebra by joining the Eep conservation program, the Eaza Ex-situ Programme, coordinated by the European Union Zoos and Aquariums, Eaza, to contribute to the possible repopulation of national parks and nature reserves in Africa".

“A birth is good news for the Bioparco - adds the new general director of the Bioparco, Lucia Venturi - and a positive signal for the defense of the species and encourages us in initiatives to promote biodiversity and environmental sustainability".