Two new members have been born into the zebra family at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur. The two foals, born on 22 and 24 September, have been seen moving with the zebra herd.

Rafiqul Islam, the park's officer-in-charge, confirmed this to the media on Tuesday evening (24 September). He said the new foals were seen with the herd on the mornings of Sunday 22 September and Tuesday 24 September. They are being watched closely to protect them from attacks by other, predatory animals. The safari park currently has 28 zebras, 14 male and 14 female. With the newborn foals, the park's zebra count has reached 30.

The park's wildlife supervisor Anisur Rahman said the zebra is an African hoofed, four-legged mammal of the Equidae family, known especially for its distinctive black stripes. Giraffes, spotted deer, barking deer and some other animals live in the same enclosure as the zebras.

He added that zebra foals suckle for 7 to 8 months. Zebras move in herds, and other members of the herd also keep new members safe. A female zebra's pregnancy lasts 12 to 13 months. Zebras live 20 years in the wild, but there are records of them living up to 40 years in captivity.

According to park sources, several zebras were brought from South Africa in phases through an animal trading firm after the park was set up in 2013. They roam a large area of bush and grassland in the park's "African Safari" section, alongside wildebeest, giraffes, gazelles, common eland, spotted deer, barking deer and other animals.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.