Singapore Zoo welcomes newborn Grevy’s zebra

The Singapore Zoo welcomed a new member into its endangered Grevy’s zebra herd last month, the Mandai Wildlife Group announced on Tuesday (Oct 26).

The foal, named Izara – a girl’s name of African origin meaning star – was born on Sep 30.

Izara’s birth marked a monumental step in the protection of her kind — the largest and most endangered of the world’s three remaining zebra species which can be found in isolated pockets of Ethiopia and Northern Kenya.

Apart from Izara’s parents, Desta and Koelle, both of which are six years old, the zoo is also home to two other females named Jasiri and Moyo. They arrived in Singapore in June 2020 from USA’s Tanganyika Wildlife Park and have been under the care of the Mandai Wildlife Group ever since.

The Grevy’s herd is currently part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) ex-situ programme (EEP), which aims to maintain a healthy and sustainable population under human care for both conservation and educational purposes.

“Every birth is a celebration, and this healthy and active foal will play a part in contributing to the population under human care. With fewer than 2,000 left in the wild and just over 400 under human care, this new addition marks a monumental step in the protection of the endangered Grevy’s species,” said Dr Luis Carlos Neves, the Vice President of Animal Care, Mandai Wildlife Group. 

Izara was the second zebra born in Singapore this year. The birth comes one and a half months after the arrival of another prominent black and white cub at sister park River Wonders.