The tiny zebra was birthed, and took its first steps in the presence of some elephants, in full view of the cameraman Conrad Zeelie.
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Mother zebra gives birth in full view of spectators
The miracle of life never ceases to amaze, and for every kill in the bushveld, somewhere, there is a birth. Conrad witnessed this beautiful zebra foal coming in to the world.
It arrived spindly-limbed and off balance, but in the presence of its mother’s devotion and love.
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In the very first hours of its life, a foal will learn to recognise its mother by her unique smell, stripe patterns and vocalisations. To others looking into the herd, all of the adult zebras might appear similar, however not to the foal. The foal will know which zebra is its mother is right from the beginning. Her smell, her stripes and her voice will be unique in all of the bushveld to the little zebra.
This early bonding is vital as it helps the foal to stick close to its mother and avoid getting lost in the herd.
The wonders of nature in full display
Zebra foals are born after a gestation of around 12 to 13 months, and can weigh up to 40kg.
The mother helped to clean the little one up, and it made a few attempts to stand on its feet, finally succeeding.
Zebra foal stands up without support
What amazed Conrad was how quickly the foal not only stood to its feet, but started to take its first tentative steps. It grappled to gain control over its new lengthy legs, but managed to do just this.
Together with its mother, it started to walk forwards. This happened one shaky step at a time, but all eyes were on the foal, which within minutes had not only been born, but gained composure and stood to face life in the bushveld.
Zebra takes first steps alongside elephants
What made the scene more beautiful was the presence of elephants nearby. These were a reminder that the zebra had been born into something greater.
In the weeks to come the zebra will learn about life around it, and will more than likely face numerous threats, however, if it overcomes, it will become one of the adults in the herd. And so, as the movie the Lion King so explicitly puts it, ‘the circle of life’ will continue.
The first year is the most dangerous time for the zebra foal, with high risks from predators and environmental challenges. A strong herd, vigilant mother and quick reflexes will all play a role in the foal’s survival.
This mother, however, seemed fully equipped to guide her foal through its early months and to raise it into adulthood. Zebra foals grow rapidly and by the time this foal is one year of age it will almost be the size of Mom. Around this time, it will also be ready to fend for itself. However, it will continue to stick with the herd.
