New Baby Zebra Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City is celebrating the newest life at the OKC Zoo. On Saturday, August 9, the newest zebra foal, Atlas, was born to his mother Calypso. Now, the herd is up to six zebras and Atlas marks a second birth for the Oklahoma City Zoo's zebra rehabilitation program.

The news comes just after the heartbreaking announcement of one of the most loved equine animals having to be put down. Although Seven, the foal, was a horse, zebras and horses are very closely related. It's beautiful to see the good news after Seven's passing as a reminder that life truly does continue and is worth celebrating, despite the loss.

Atlas' name comes fromt the space theme that the team has been using for the zebra herd. The other zebras names are Selene, Nebula, Aurora and Atlas' father, Mars. 

For those that have never seen a baby zebra, it's not like what you might expect. According to the zoo's curator of Hoofstock, Bill Smith, zebra foals are actually born fluffy and not black and white, but brown and white.

"While everyone expects black and white stripes, zebra foals are actually born with soft, fuzzy fur with brown stripes which will darken to black during their first year," he said. 

They're incredibly similar to horses, but they do usually have a longer gestation period. Meaning poor Calypso carried Atlas, and all other zebras carry their foals, for 11 to 13 months. But thankfully, everything turned out beautifully for the Oklahoma City zebra family.

One reason that the OKC Zoo does allow and encourage safe breeding practices for the animals is due to the several conservation efforts they have going for their animals. While Plains zebras are one of the most common species, they are still on the decline in the wild.

Zoo experts like OKC Zoo executive director and CEO Dwight Lawson are hoping that Atlas' birth will inspire guests to get involved with their conservation efforts.

"“We hope that seeing the family dynamics of the Plains zebra herd will make an impact on our guests and inspire them to take conservation action to help preserve this species and other African species and their habitats,” he said.

You can also keep a close eye on Atlas and the rest of the herd, as they will soon be integrated with the zoo's wildabeest herd once Atlas is old enough to keep up with everyone.

To learn more about the OKC Zoo's hours, ticket prices and more, visit their website.