Zebra foals take their first steps shortly after birth. Zuri also got up soon after she was born and trotted effortlessly with her mother. She drinks well and has already eaten some tufts of hay. In the herd, the young mare clearly shows that she is there. “She is curious about her fellow residents with whom she shares the enclosure and likes to challenge the giraffes and oryx”, says Lois. The foal regularly explores the enclosure independently, while mother Geisa keeps an eye on her young from a distance. Father Florian is also regularly seen in the vicinity of his daughter.

Grévy's zebras are found in the wild in southern Ethiopia, Kenya and some parts of Somalia. In these countries, Grévy's zebras are endangered. The number of zebras living in these countries has halved in the last century. Drought and insufficient watering places are one of the biggest causes of this decline. Their habitat is also shrinking and they have to deal with poaching. Because the animal species is doing badly, the zebra is on the 'red list' of endangered species. That is why zebras are part of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP). Through these programs, European zoos work together to conserve the Grévy zebra and other endangered species. The bloodline of father Florian is not yet found in the zebra population. DierenPark Amersfoort is therefore extra happy with the birth of the foal. “Zuri is more than welcome. The playful, enterprising spring-in-the-field is a nice addition to the herd," says the animal caretaker. The zebra foal can be seen together with the rest of the herd at the Savanne in Amersfoort Zoo.