Baby zebras on display at St Louis Zoo

Two young zebras have made their debut at the St Louis Zoo in Missouri, appearing publicly for the first time since they were born this winter.

The new additions are both Grevy’s zebras, a rare and endangered species from Africa. The male, named Asante, was born in November, and the female, Zuri, in January. The half-siblings share a father but were born to different mothers.

Now that the weather is warmer, the two baby zebras will be out on display with their mothers on milder days.

The Grevy’s zebra, also known as the Imperial Zebra, is native to Kenya and Ethiopia, but is now rarely found in the wild. Because they must compete with livestock for food, their numbers have dwindled over the past 30 years, dropping sharply from 15,000 in the 1970s to only 2,200 today.

They are the largest of the three species of zebra, with big ears and narrow stripes. When Asante and Zuri are fully grown, they will weigh up to 1,000 pounds each.