10/13/2026
What is black and white….and a girl?
The Racine Zoo’s newest resident!
The Racine Zoo is excited to announce the newest member of its Zoo family, a newborn Hartmann’s Mountain zebra! Born in the early morning of October 12. This is the third Hartmann’s Mountain foal born at the Racine Zoo and the first female. She is a very important addition to the Hartmann’s Mountain zebra population.
Born to mother, Promise, and father, Obi, the new foal was born as a recommendation of the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra Species Survival Plan. With Hartmann’s Mountain zebras vulnerable in their native habitats in southern Africa, this foal is an important contribution to global conservation of this species. “We are all very happy for Promise, Obi and the new foal and cannot wait to introduce her to the public”, says Dan Powell, Curator of Animal Care and Conservation at the Racine Zoo. “This successful birth is a testament to the hard work of the Animal Care Specialists and medical team monitoring Promise’s pregnancy and daily care”. Racine Zoo’s Animal and Veterinary Care teams have worked diligently to monitor continuously to maintain training and monitor Promise’s health as her due date approached. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra pregnancies are a full year in length, and Animal Care Staff began to suspect Promise was pregnant in the fall of 2025, and the pregnancy was confirmed via ultrasound this spring.
In order to ensure a safe and healthy birth, keepers watched Promise day and night for weeks via nightvision camera, tracking and recording her behaviors and physical condition, reporting any changes to her vet staff. They tracked and recorded all of her behaviors, including eating, sleeping and other behaviors via night-vision cameras installed in Zebra holding.
The Racine Zoo is happy to report an uneventful pregnancy, and Promise shows her experience of being a mother, taking excellent care of the foal. We are excited to introduce the public to their healthy baby girl, and hope to allow access in the near future, while the weather is still warm!
While things are going smoothly for the Racine Zoo’s zebra family, there is one thing missing—a name! You will be able to vote for your favorite name on our page! Stay tuned for voting to open.
