A Safari Surprise
When on safari be open to outcome not attached to outcome.
I have one more tent available on my January 20-31, 2024, safari – single or double occupancy. Contact me for details for the trip of a lifetime! You never know what you will come across when on a game drive. Imagine my friend and safari guide, Joseph Mutemi’s concern when he found a Grevy zebra lying alone on the road a couple of weeks ago while on a game drive.
Grevy zebras are the largest of all zebras and highly endangered. With only 2,500 left in the world every Grevy counts! They are native to the dry arid scrub and grasslands of Ethiopia and northern Kenya. They look a lot like mules with big fuzzy ears and long necks. Their thin painterly stripes terminate at their sides leaving their underbellies white.
Joseph quickly realized this Grevy wasn’t dead, she was giving birth and he and his guests had a front row seat. He sent me a series of videos of this amazing event. I’ve provided links after each image so you can watch the birth too.
With a final big contraction, the Grevy mare raised her head and looked back to see her foal arrive draped in the amniotic sac. Video #2
The mother got to her feet and began to lick her baby clean. The little foal’s head bobbed as it took its first breath and looked around at the new world. Its long legs kicked at the earth and it struggled to stand. Zebra foals have legs almost as long as their mother’s so they can blend in against their bodies. Those stripes are perfect camouflage.
The gestation period for Grevy zebras is 390 days, the longest of any equid. A mare leaves her group to give birth alone until the foal has imprinted on her, one or two days later. This can be a dangerous time since newborns are vulnerable to attacks by predators like lions and hyenas. Grevy foal mortality can be as high as 50%. Perhaps this mare chose the open road as a birthing place for security reasons, trusting humans would protect her and her baby. It is extraordinary how resilient these animals are. Mum is up almost immediately after the foal is delivered. The foal stands within 10 minutes and can run within 45 minutes!
Every newborn Grevy means one step further away from extinction for this beautiful species with the long ears and delicate stripes. The seasonal rains have returned to Northern Kenya ending a devastating drought ensuring this foal and its mother have a good chance of survival. Video #5