'Playful' Keyo debuts at Denver Zoo

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 27, 2007 at midnight

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The Denver Zoo today introduced Keyo, the first zebra born at the zoo in 10 years.

Keyo was born at 1:45 p.m. Saturday.

"Keyo got off to a quick start by standing within an hour after being born," according to a release from the Denver Zoo. "Keyo is very playful and often gallops around, exploring his outdoor yard."

Zoo officials said the colt's mother, Lindsay, has been very attentive.

The 5-day-old is what's known as a Grevy's zebra, a critically endangered species with less than 2,000 left in the wild.

Although Keyo only weighs about 85 pounds now, he could weigh up to 1,000 pounds when he is full grown.

The last time a Grevy's zebra was born at the Denver Zoo was in April 1997. Keyo is the 14th to be born in the zoo's history.

The zoo reports there are three different species of zebra: plains or common zebra, mountain zebra and Grevy's zebra.

"As the largest wild equine species, Grevy's can be distinguished from other zebras by their longer legs, more narrow stripes, white, stripeless underbelly and large rounded ears," the zoo reports.

"Grevy's zebras are only found in northern Kenya and southeastern Ethiopia."

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