The National Zoo showed off one of its newest arrivals this morning - a three-week-old zebra foal named Malawi.
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Malawi joins a herd of four other zebra at the zoo, and while still dependent on his mother Zahra for food, he is already showing signs of wanting to strike out alone.
National Zoo wildlife supervisor Bec Scott said Malawi liked to explore away from Zahra, but if a bird or a loud noise frightened him he would dash right back to his mother.
“He’s an excitable fellow, and he’s quite curious,” she said.
Ms Scott said the National Zoo has a successful zebra breeding program, and as they suspect another mare, Kike, may be pregnant, they hope to have another baby before the end of the year.
The zoo is part of an Australia and New Zealand breeding network which specialises in the plain zebra from south eastern Africa, so Malawi is likely to be moved to another zoo and take part in their breeding program when he is old enough.
Ms Scott said zebra are potential “lion food” in the wild, but they are able to stand and run around soon after they are born.
“Their legs are almost as long as their parents’, which makes them extra cute,” she said.
Malawi has the company of yearlings Kamalu and Zaffir, both of which were also born at the zoo.