Endangered Zebra Unexpectedly Gives Birth as Visitors Tour Zoo

"She got to her feet, and picked her spot in the paddock, and a healthy youngster appeared less than an hour later," a zookeeper said.

Visitors to a U.K. zoo were treated to a magical experience earlier this week when an endangered zebra unexpectedly gave birth in the middle of the day.

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Nadine, a Grevy's zebra at the Chester Zoo, showed signs of early labor Sunday afternoon.

Suddenly, visitors witnessed Nadine rolling to her side, and getting ready to deliver her foal.

"It was a really smooth delivery," Chester Zoo's Kim Wood said in a press statement. "Nadine was seen lying on her side, trying to make herself more comfortable. She then got to her feet, and picked her spot in the paddock, and a healthy youngster appeared less than an hour later."

Onlookers were able to watch the mother give birth from a distance after a 14-month gestation period. 

According to the press release, the foal is the second of the endangered breed to be born at the zoo in just six days.

The two baby foals become the fifth and sixth Grevy's zebra living at the Chester Zoo.

While zookeepers are still unsure of the baby's sex, Wood said, "The foal is looking great. We're sure the two new arrivals will be as thick as thieves." 

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According to the Chester Zoo, the Grevy's zebra is endangered, and as few as 1,900 zebras of the breed remain in the wild despite once being the most populous of zebra breeds.

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