BOSTON (WHDH) - The Franklin Park Zoo’s newest Poitou donkey has a name.
Two months after his birth in early August, zoo staff in a post on Facebook Tuesday said they named the foal “Obi.”
The name is a nod to the French city of Obernai and the French roots of the rare Poitou donkey breed.
“With fluff that defies autofocus and a sweet nature, Obi continues to thrive behind the scenes at the Children’s Zoo,” staff said.
Poitou donkeys are critically endangered, according to the Franklin Park Zoo’s website. Weighing well over 1,000 pounds, Poitous are known for their distinctive shaggy coats.
Obi was born on Aug. 8 in the Franklin Park Zoo’s first successful Poitou donkey birth. While zoo staff celebrated Obi’s birth, they soon mourned the death of his mother, Vollavon, who died during the week of Aug. 26.
The zoo in a statement in late August said Vollavon suffered from severe gastric ulcers and painful inflammation of her hoof tissues. When her health rapidly deteriorated, caretakers opted to euthanize her.
With his mother gone, the zoo said Obi was “being doted on” by his care team.
In an update in mid-September, the Franklin Park Zoo said Obi was “growing bigger and friskier by the day.”
In their latest update, the zoo said Obi is learning to step on a scale to be weighed. Obi is also learning to wear a halter.
“[H]e’s a pro at drinking milk prepared by his dedicated care team,” Franklin Park Zoo staff said.
Currently out of public view at the zoo, staff said Obi is being kept company by Betty, a Morgan horse.
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