Cape May Zoo Celebrates Arrival of Newborn Male Zebra

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. — A Grant’s zebra foal is the newest addition to the Cape May Zoo family. The male foal was born May 21 to Lydia and Ziggy, two of the zoo’s adult zebras. This marks the first male birth in the zebra herd at the Cape May County Zoo in several years. The foal is healthy, active, and now on view with the rest of the herd. Grant’s zebras, also known as common zebras, are native to eastern and southeastern Africa. They typically graze on tall, coarse grasses in the wild, but at the zoo, they are fed hay and grain. The species is closely related to horses but features a shorter, upright mane, a stockier build, and shorter legs. Adults can weigh up to 800 pounds and grow to around 4.5 feet tall. Their average lifespan is about 20 years in the wild, but they can live up to 40 years in captivity. The gestation period for Grant’s zebras lasts roughly 13 months. Foals are born well-developed and are usually up and running within an hour of birth. Though the newest member of the herd hasn’t yet been named, visitors can expect to spot him nursing, napping, or playing in the zebra yard. Ziggy is the stallion in the zoo’s Grant’s zebra herd, which also includes fillies Lydia, Gracie, Gretta, Stormy, and Stardust. Lydia also gave birth to Gaia, a female foal named after the Greek goddess of Earth. Cape May Zoo, located at 707 U.S. Route 9 North, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.