There she is, the one in the stripes: Lion Country Safari welcomes second baby zebra of 2022

LOXAHATCHEE — The zebra family at Lion Country Safari is expanding with the birth of its second foal this year.

The park welcomed a female baby Plains zebra on Oct. 16 to its herd, which is the largest in the United States with 56 zebras.

Haley McCann, the park's spokesperson, says the birth shows Lion Country Safari's success at creating a safe environment for animals to reproduce with minimal human involvement.

"With these large natural social groups, we see that the animals have those natural social interactions," McCann said. "And are enriched by being in herds of greater size."

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Lion Country Safari is home to 22 male and 34 female Plains zebras

Lion County Safari, which opened its drive-by trails in 1967, is home to 22 male and 34 female Plains zebras. The species is considered "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as it usually perishes due to poaching or destruction of their habitat in eastern and southern Africa.

A zebra from the safari's herd gave birth to the foal on Sunday after an 11-to-13 month gestation period. It weighed between 50 and 90 pounds and featured white and brown stripes on its fuzzy fur.

McCann said the foal was already walking an hour after her birth and can be seen stretching her legs and prancing behind her mom in the Hwange section of the park.

The baby zebra will go unnamed. Lion Country Safari does not name its zebras.

Lion Country Safari is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a national nonprofit that supports conservation of endangered species.

"Having such a large herd of zebra is pretty significant to us," McCann said. "Not only to us here at the park but also just overall on supporting the species."

Where is Lion Country Safari located and how much does it cost to get into the drive-through zoo?

Where: 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, Loxahatchee, 33470

Tickets: You'll need to purchase one ticket for every person three years old and older in your vehicle. Child tickets are for children ages three through nine. For all guests ages 10 years and older, purchase a regular ticket. Children two and under are free. Regular ticket is $41 plus fee/taxes; child ticket is $31 plus fee/taxes. Tickets are not date specific. Lion Country Safari will honor tickets for six months after date of purchase.

Hours: Weekdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can arrive through any time during open hours.

More information: Please visit the Lion Country Safari website.

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lion Country Safari South Florida drive-thru zoo welcomes baby zebra