Latest from Horse & Hound in Zebra

A ‘significant moment’ as endangered species foal born in the UK

Eleanor Jones — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:35:08 +0000

The birth of one of Africa’s most endangered large mammals has been described as a “significant moment” for the species.

Keepers at West Midlands Safari Park were delighted when 14-year-old Grevy’s zebra Akuna gave birth to a healthy colt in the early hours of 19 October.

The species is declining in the wild; it is estimated that only about 3,000 remain.

Head keeper of ungulates Lisa Watkins said “We are all over the moon with the safe arrival of a Grevy’s zebra foal after what has been a long wait. Every birth is important, as these zebras are endangered in the wild, with 90% of the population being found in northern Kenya. Threats include hunting, habitat loss and in recent years severe drought.

“All animals born at the park this year have names beginning with the letter M, so we have decided to call him Manilow, Manny for short, which keepers thought worked well alongside his big sister’s name, Lola.”

Picture by Matthew Lissimore (Image credit: MATTHEW LISSIMORE)

Grevy’s are the largest of the zebra species, weighing between 350kg and 450kg as adults, and the rarest. Foals are born with reddish-brown stripes, which darken as they get older.

West Midlands Safari Park’s Grevy’s zebra are part of a European programme dedicated to conserving endangered species, as part of which the park has donated funds to the Grevy’s Zebra Trust, to help with conservation efforts in the wild.

Manny will soon be introduced to those who share his home on the safari, which include white rhinos, antelope, Congo buffalo and giraffes.

“Both mum and foal are thriving and Manilow is getting used to his surroundings, plus Lola is delighted to have a playmate,” Ms Watkins said. “We hope that guests will get to see them out on the safari soon, weather dependent.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout Pau five-star, London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

(Image credit: Matthew Lissimore)

Tapirs and zebras tuck into horse feed – and peppers

(Image credit: Matthew Lissimore)

Newborn zebra foal delighting zoo staff with his ‘zoomies’

The Hartmann’s mountain zebra foal was born on 23 December to parents Lydia and Die Toekoms

(Image credit: Matthew Lissimore)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

‘It has been a long wait’: delight as endangered foal born in Britain

Lucy Elder — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 06:47:44 +0000

Conservationists are celebrating the birth of an endangered Grevy’s zebra foal in the UK and are “cautiously optimistic” for the future of the breed in the wild.

The three-day-old foal was born at Marwell Zoo and keepers say its mother Khumba is “doing an exceptional job caring for her new arrival”.

Marwell has a significant role in shaping Kenya’s national conservation strategy for this rare breed. It manages both the international studbook and the European Ex-situ Programme (EEP) for Grevy’s zebras, which is a breeding and conservation plan for wild animals living in European zoos.

“As EEP coordinator, I am very excited about the birth of this Grevy’s foal on Monday morning,” said Tanya Langenhorst, senior conservation biologist at Marwell.

“It has been a long wait since this species is pregnant for a minimum of 13 months. The EEP has been through several tough years with many older animals dying and only few foals being born.

“The European population currently only has 208 individuals. I am trying to grow it back to 250 so every foal counts and this one born at Marwell is only the fifth to be born this year.”

Marwell has not yet shared if the new arrival is a filly or a colt.

Grevy’s zebra are found primarily in northern Kenya with isolated groups in Ethiopia. It is thought fewer than 3,000 remain.

Numbers declined because of habitat loss, drought and poaching, but it is thought the population is now stabilising.

“The Grevy’s zebra in the wild, in Kenya, are doing reasonably well with many reports of births,” she said.

“We are cautiously optimistic that the wild population has survived the terrible drought that lasted over two years, when Marwell and its partners in Kenya worked hard to keep them alive with supplementary hay feeding.”

Phil Robbins, hoofstock team leader at Marwell, added: “The foal was born on Monday morning and has been running around in the paddock, staying close to Khumba who is a very good mother. She is being extremely protective and attentive towards the foal.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Paralympic Games, Burghley, HOYS and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

New research could hold the key to combating horse flies

Lucy Elder — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 18:02:10 +0000

New research has outlined how zebra stripes work to repel horse flies.

Studies in recent years have shown that horse flies do not like landing on stripes, and there is a growing body of evidence that zebra stripes are an evolutionary adaptation to thwart them.

A new study from the University of Bristol has built on previous research to look at the reasons why horse flies do not want to land on stripes.

The scientists used horses wearing different types of patterned rugs for the study, which was published today (20 February) in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

They found that stark black-white distinctions and small dark patches were particularly effective in thwarting attacks. Their theory is that thin black stripes minimise large, monochrome dark patches, which horse flies would find appealing.

(Image credit: Martin How)

“We knew that horse flies are averse to landing on striped objects – a number of studies have now shown this, but it is not clear which aspects of stripes they find aversive,” said co-author Tim Caro.

“Is it the thinness of the stripes? The contrast of black and white? The polarised signal that can be given off objects? So we set out to explore these issues using different patterned cloths draped over horses and filmed incoming horse flies.”

They found that horse flies are attracted to large, dark objects, but less so to dark, broken patterns. All-grey rugs were associated with by far the most landings, followed by those with large black triangles, then small checkerboard patterns.

In another experiment, they found contrasting stripes attracted few flies, while stripes that were less contrasting were more attractive.

“This suggests that any hoofed animal that reduces its overall dark outline against the sky will benefit in terms of reduced ectoparasite attack,” added Professor Caro.

“We know that zebra pelage (fur) is short, enabling horsefly mouthparts to reach the skin and blood capillaries below, which may make them particularly susceptible to fly annoyance.

“But more important, perhaps, is that the diseases that they carry are fatal to the horse family, but less so to ungulates. This needs investigation.”

The research was led by Professor Caro and Martin How, from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences.

You might also be interested in:

(Image credit: Martin How)

Earning their stripes: zebras’ coats deter horseflies, study finds

(Image credit: Martin How)

When is a horse not a horse? When it’s a hinny, a zorse or a zonkey…

What other hybrid equines are out there, and which ones would, theoretically, be eligible to do dressage?

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Tapirs and zebras tuck into horse feed – and peppers

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 20:21:04 +0000

Tapir, camels and zebra are among the exotic animals who have been tucking into horse feed at Paradise Wildlife Park.

The Hertfordshire park has been feeding Dengie’s Alfa-A Original to a number of species for years, alongside specialist feed, forage, fruit and vegetables.

Residents who enjoy the chaff include the lowland tapir, the plains zebra, the bactrian camels and the red deer.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“We mix it with their concentrate feeds and have found this to be a great product for increasing the animals’ roughage,” he said.

“It’s clear to see that all the animals enjoy their Alfa-A, particularly our bactrian camels, who love grabbing mouthfuls out of their feed buckets before we have even placed the food in their troughs!”

The Paradise animals are also fed hay and straw, and a specialised pellet feed. The tapirs enjoy fruit and vegetables, their favourites being peppers and pumpkin, with their 400g chaff per day. The camels have a taste for carrots as treats, and get through 1.6kg Alfa-A every day, split into two feeds.

“The animals at Paradise Wildlife Park also have various forms of enrichment including treat balls, branches and forage at varying levels including hay racks and feed troughs,” a Dengie spokesman said.

Rare breed zebra foal delights visitors with surprise arrival

Lucy Elder — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 06:30:55 +0000

A rare breed zebra foal delighted visitors with an early arrival at Marwell Zoo.

Grevy’s zebra Ellen safely delivered the healthy foal during the day in her paddock in September, to the surprise of amazed onlookers.

Keepers carefully monitored the zebra from a distance and answered questions from guests, while the first-time mother gave birth in just 30 minutes. Both mother and foal are doing well.

(Image credit: PhotosByGemma)

“We knew Ellen was soon to be expecting so we have been monitoring her and allowing her access to the paddock and the indoor area,” said Marwell Zoo’s hoofstock team leader Tim Rowlands.

“Zebra normally like to do their own thing and take themselves away, so giving birth in the middle of the afternoon in front of a crowd of guests isn’t common but she wasn’t concerned by the interest and it was a very smooth delivery with the healthy foal arriving in around half an hour.

“The foal is enjoying exploring, though is still staying close to its mother, who is the dominant female of the herd and is being very protective.”

The foal’s name and gender are yet to be confirmed, and brings the total number of Grevy’s zebra at the zoo to six.

There are fewer than 3,000 Grevy’s zebra left in the wild. They are found in small, isolated areas in Northern Kenya and Ethiopia.

Conservation charity Marwell Wildlife, which owns and operates Marwell Zoo, is involved in the national conservation strategy for the species in Kenya. Marwell manages the breed’s international studbook, a programme conserving healthy populations of animals in activity and is also one of the active members of the Grevy’s zebra technical committee, which guides and implements conservation action in the country.

You might also be interested in:

Joy as zoo welcomes safe arrival of two extremely rare foals

Lucy Elder — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 12:02:02 +0000

A British zoo has welcomed the arrival of two extremely rare foals as part of its conservation work to protect endangered species.

A Przewalski’s horse and a Hartmann’s mountain zebra have been born at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire in recent weeks.

The new Hartmann’s mountain zebra foal at Marwell Zoo. (Image credit: Mark Parris/Marwell Zoo)

“Przewalski’s horses had disappeared from the wild by the end of the 1960s.” said Tim Woodfine, the zoo’s director of conservation.

“Marwell played a key role on forming a cooperative breeding programme for this species and planning its reintroduction. We have since provided animals for reintroduction in Mongolia and Hungary, and for grazing management projects in European nature reserves.”

The Przewalski’s horse is now classed as “endangered” and this foal was born to mare Tsetseg on Sunday night (6 June).

The zoo is also celebrating the safe arrival of a scimitar-horned oryx calf and a Hartmann’s mountain zebra foal, who are “thriving”. Both species are classed as “vulnerable” to extinction on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list.

The new Hartmann’s mountain zebra foal at Marwell Zoo. (Image credit: Mark Parris/Marwell Zoo)

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

(Image credit: Marwell Zoo)

How a cloned Przewalski’s foal could help save species from extinction H&H Plus

(Image credit: Marwell Zoo)

Foster cow steps in to mother orphaned foal

A dairy cow has stepped in as the foster mother for an orphaned thoroughbred foal, who lost his dam at

https://www.facebook.com/marwellwildlife/posts/10157011953732168

“These births are welcome additions to their respective European ex situ programmes, which are specially managed assurance populations,” said Dr Woodfine.

“Our Przewalski’s horse foal and scimitar-horned oryx calf are reminders that these species disappeared from their natural ranges but have since been successfully reintroduced.

“Our Tunisia team has helped reintroduce scimitar-horned oryx and continues to monitor them to four protected areas. We have also contributed animals and technical support to re-establish the species in the huge Ouadi Rimé‐Ouadi Achim Wildlife Reserve in Chad as part of an ambitious project undertaken by the government of Chad and the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Sahara Conservation Fund.”

He added: “The flexibility and fortitude exhibited by our teams and partners throughout the coronavirus pandemic meant that we achieved much against the odds. The reopening of the zoo is important for generating the income to support our conservation work across the world.”

(Image credit: Marwell Zoo)

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Newborn zebra foal delighting zoo staff with his ‘zoomies’

Becky Murray — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:03:08 +0000

A newborn zebra foal is delighting staff at a US zoo with his “adorable” antics.

Zoo Knoxville, Tennessee, welcomed the foal, who is yet to be named, on 23 December to five-year-old Hartmann’s mountain zebras Die Toekoms, which means “the future” in Afrikaans, and Lydia. The foal is a first for the zoo, which also has five-year-old female Wiley in its herd.

The zebra foal born December 23, 2020, explores the Grasslands habitat with his mother Lydia on Wednesday January 6, 2021. (Image credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess)

Curator Petty Grieve told H&H the staff were ‘thrilled’ about their new arrival, who was bred as part of a breeding programme under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help the endangered species.

“Each species that is endangered or vulnerable has a committee that monitors the genetics and makes breeding recommendations and we work with the Hartmann’s mountain zebra survival plan,” she said.

“There are around 250,000 Plains zebras in Africa, but only estimated to be around 8,000 Hartmann’s so we’re focused on trying to help that species.”

Petty said zebras traditionally have a herd hierarchy, and before her pregnancy Lydia had been the lowest ranked female.

“In the wild the typical dynamic is one male with around eight females,” she said. “Since the foal was born Lydia’s status has elevated; babies are very coveted which makes them very important.

“Lydia has always been quite shy but since having her baby she has come out of her shell a little bit so that’s been interesting to see.”

Petty said the zoo is ‘overjoyed’ with the foal.

“While we thought Lydia was probably pregnant due to her belly getting bigger, I didn’t think she was close to full term so we were a little surprised when he showed up. We thought it was going to be in February or March,” she said.

“I’m hoping Wiley is pregnant or will become pregnant soon. We are looking at the breeding programme figuring out what our new foal’s life plan will be. If there is another institution looking to join the Hartmann’s zebra programme he may go to another zoo in a couple of years, or he might stay with us longer.”

Continued below…

(Image credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess)

‘Miracle’ zebra foal boost to endangered breed

‘She is a massive cause for celebration as she is the only surviving female foal born in the UK since

(Image credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess)

Photographer surprised by rare spotted zebra

‘It was my third time visiting Maasai Mara and I’ve never seen anything like it before’

(Image credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess)

The foal has started enjoying time outdoors on the zoo’s habitat entertaining staff and visitors.

“The baby is so fun. He gets the zoomies where he runs around really quick all excited,” said Petty. “He’s learning what life is about and trying to mimic his mom eating grass and hay.

“We also welcomed a baby giraffe on 24 December. In spring the giraffes and zebras share the same habitat so we’re going to have two little babies out which will be adorable. I’m really curious to see how much the babies will interact because they’ll be going through the same milestones at the same time.”

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Devastation as zebra foal dies after local fireworks displays

Eleanor Jones — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 16:52:48 +0000

A young zebra named Hope as she was born during lockdown and brought joy in tough times has died after fireworks were let off near her enclosure.

Staff at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol, believe seven-month-old Hope was spooked by the bangs from a number of local displays held on 4 November.

“It appears that the fright caused the animal to bolt and she collided with the boundary of the enclosure,” a spokesman for the zoo said.

“The post-mortem has revealed that this sudden impact caused her immediate death.”

Head keeper Emma Ogborne told H&H in March the filly was named Hope to cheer people up in a difficult time. The spokesman said she had become a symbol of positivity to keepers and visitors.

Zoo managing director Larry Bush said: “We’re feeling devastated by the loss of our young zebra Hope.

“She was so full of energy and life and she was a very healthy young zebra. It is such a tragedy that she has lost her life, seemingly as a result of fireworks being set off at nearby events which were intended as a celebration.

“We know this was not the intention of local organisers and people letting off fireworks, but it does demonstrate in a tragic way the impact that fireworks can have on animals – whether this be zebras, horses, native wildlife or pets in our homes.”

Senior keeper Jayne Gibbins said the zoo is determined something good comes from Hope’s death.

Continues below…

(Image credit: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm)

Newborn zebra brings ray of Hope as world battles health crisis

Grant’s zebras are registered as near-threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list

(Image credit: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm)

Fireworks cause second mare to abort foal: owner vows to campign for change

She was standing on her own, mourning her foal”

(Image credit: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm)

Photographer surprised by rare spotted zebra

‘It was my third time visiting Maasai Mara and I’ve never seen anything like it before’

“We feel it is so important people are aware of what has happened — we hope people will change their views about fireworks and become much more aware of the impact they can have on animals,” she said.

“We would like to use this tragic event as an impetus for change and we really hope that people will now think hard and adopt alternative arrangements like silent fireworks or other more animal-friendly options for their bonfire night celebrations.“

“Hope’s birth was a real high point for us in among the challenges of having to close the zoo for three months in support of the national lockdown and we are all feeling her loss greatly.”

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Delight as foal of one of world’s rarest species is born in the UK

Becky Murray — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:21:33 +0000

A foal belonging to one of the world’s rarest species has been born at a UK zoo.

Hampshire’s Marwell Zoo welcomed the African wild ass foal, born to first-time parents Jahzahra and Lars on 5 August. The African wild ass, believed to be the ancestor of the domestic donkey, faces an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.

A Marwell spokesman said the zoo has breeding African wild asses successfully for many years, boosting numbers of the species, which has been on the critically endangered list since 1996.

(Image credit: Jason Brown Photography)

“The birth of this foal is an extremely important addition to the zoo, especially as we are only one of three collections in the UK to hold a breeding herd of African wild ass,” said Ian Goodwin, Marwell’s animal collection manager.

“We’re all very proud that mother and foal are doing so well. The African wild ass inhabit Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.There are estimated to be fewer than 600 in the wild so they are incredibly rare and they sadly face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.”

The zoo also welcomed two Hartmann’s mountain zebras, on 6 and 11 August. The breed which is mainly found in the wild in Namibia, Angola and South Africa, is classed as vulnerable to extinction on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species.

All Images ©Jason Brown Photographywww.Jasonbrownphotography.co.uk+44 7545 760582 (Image credit: Jason Brown Photography)

“The first foal was born to Dayimani and Davu and the second to Dorotka and Davu,” said the spokesman.

Article continued below…

(Image credit: Jason Brown Photography)

Newborn zebra brings ray of Hope as world battles health crisis

Grant’s zebras are registered as near-threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list

(Image credit: Jason Brown Photography)

Photographer surprised by rare spotted zebra

‘It was my third time visiting Maasai Mara and I’ve never seen anything like it before’

(Image credit: Jason Brown Photography)

“The wild Hartmann’s mountain zebra population suffered a dramatic loss in the early 1980s due to extreme droughts. While the species has recovered to more than 30,000 individuals since then, an event similar to the one in the 1980s is increasingly likely under climate change. This could wipe out more than 30% of the wild population, making the zoo populations an important back up for the conservation of the species.”

The foals, who are yet to be named or sexed, can be seen at the site in Winchester.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Newborn zebra brings ray of Hope as world battles health crisis

Becky Murray — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 17:43:11 +0000

A newborn zebra has brought joy at the “perfect time”.

Five-year-old Polly gave birth to a filly, Hope, on 19 March at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol.

Head keeper Emma Ogborne told H&H both Polly and Hope, who are Grant’s zebras – a subspecies of the plains zebra – are healthy and doing well.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“Polly has done a brilliant job, she basically did everything herself and when we arrived in the morning we had a new foal,” she said.

“They are kept in a family herd with dad Zebedee, Polly’s half-sister Nola and her foal Sprout who was born on 29 November last year. Because they’re a family unit they look out for each other and stick together.”

Emma said the herd is kept in the giraffe enclosure.

“They also share the enclosure with ostriches and have full-time access to grazing,” she said.

“Zebras are not currently considered endangered but their numbers are declining in the wild – and Grant’s zebras are registered as near-threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list. By keeping them in zoos we can educate people on how they interact and monitor numbers. We have an open breeding programme and they breed every two years.”

Emma said Hope has been enjoying the sunshine and struck up a bond with Sprout.

“Hope is a typical baby at the moment, she’s very sleepy and enjoys having a rest in the sun. She’s been interacting with Sprout and they’ve been showing a lot of interest in each other,” she said.

“We named her Hope because of the difficult time everyone is currently going through at the moment. She came at the perfect time to cheer everybody up and give people hope.”

Across the pond, Walt Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, also welcomed a striped foal on 21 March. Hartmann’s zebra Heidi gave birth to the filly, who is yet to be named.

The foal marked the third zebra birth at the park, which is closed to the public owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Article continued below…

(Image credit: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm)

Photographer surprised by rare spotted zebra

‘It was my third time visiting Maasai Mara and I’ve never seen anything like it before’

(Image credit: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm)

‘Miracle’ zebra foal boost to endangered breed

‘She is a massive cause for celebration as she is the only surviving female foal born in the UK since

(Image credit: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm)

Mark Penning, vice-president for animals, science and environment at Disney Parks, said the foal was born as part of the species survival plan programme, which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and ensures responsible breeding and genetic diversity of thousands of species of animals.

“Hartmann’s mountain zebras are found in sub-Saharan Africa and are a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and hunting,” said Dr Penning.

“The foal is about 65 pounds and is quite strong – she was standing within 30 minutes of birth. Already very active and curious, this little lady is much like her mother and has very long legs. Heidi is showing she’s a natural at parenting.”

Would you like to read Horse & Hound’s independent journalism without any adverts? Join Horse & Hound Plus today and you can read all articles on HorseandHound.co.uk completely ad-free

Photographer surprised by rare spotted zebra

Becky Murray — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 12:03:27 +0000

A photographer could not believe his eyes when he snapped a rare spotted zebra foal in the wild in Kenya.

Freelance photographer Frank Liu, from Hong Kong, took the photogaphs in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya on 14 September while he was making a three-week trip.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“It was my third time visiting Maasai Mara and I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Mr Liu told H&H.

The unusual spotted youngster was photographed grazing among a herd of the traditional black and white zebras.

Zebras’ stripes are considered to have evolved in response to biting insects and research confirmed striped equids have a natural defence. A study carried out in the summers of 2016 and 2017 by Tim Caro, a professor of wildlife, fish and conservation biology at UC Davis, compared the behaviour of tabanids (horseflies) around both captive plains zebras and uniformly coloured domestic horses living at a yard in north Somerset.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Article continued below…

(Image credit: Frank Liu Photography)

‘Miracle’ zebra foal boost to endangered breed

‘She is a massive cause for celebration as she is the only surviving female foal born in the UK since

(Image credit: Frank Liu Photography)

Earning their stripes: zebras’ coats deter horseflies, study finds

(Image credit: Frank Liu Photography)

The results showed that although horse flies circled both horses and zebras at the same rate, fewer landed on the zebras. To understand more of the mechanism by which the stripes affected the flies, researchers analysed video footage, which showed that the insects approached the zebras faster and failed to decelerate before they made contact.

“Taken together, these findings indicate that, up close, striped surfaces prevented flies from making a controlled landing but did not influence tabanid behaviour at a distance,” said the authors of the study, which was published in Plus One on 20 February.

Mr Liu who previously worked in finance, has been working as a freelance photographer for two years focusing on wildlife and landscapes and hopes to offer photo safaris in 2020 in Kenya, Namibia and India. His work can be followed at @frankliuphotography on Instagram.

‘Miracle’ zebra foal boost to endangered breed

Lucy Elder — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 12:09:30 +0000

The birth of a rare zebra at a British zoo has been described as a “miracle” by staff and academics.

The healthy filly is the only surviving Hartmann’s mountain zebra female foal to be born in the UK since 2002.

She is also the sole healthy foal of either gender to be survive since her brother Jabali was born in 2015.

The filly, named Wakanda after a fictional country in the Marvel comics, was born overnight at Blackpool Zoo on 5 September.

Her arrival is crucial to the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme as there are only 9,000 individuals left in the wild and 235 in captivity. Of these, 11 are housed in four zoos across the UK.

Her dam Helene and sire Fernado are the most established breeding pair in the country.

Assistant head keeper Johnpaul Houston discovered the newborn foal when he arrived for work on 6 September.

“We knew Helene was pregnant but with stillbirth rates high in this species we never quite know if the pregnancy will result in a healthy foal,” he said.

“So imagine my joy when I first saw this gorgeous little one contently feeding from Mum on a rainy September morning.

“Of course, once we established that the youngster was healthy the wait was on to see if we had a girl or boy and it wasn’t long before we could confirm the news we had all been waiting for — a baby girl!”

He added Helene is an experienced mother and is doing an “incredible job” of looking after the filly.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

(Image credit: Blackpool Zoo)

Safari park welcomes two ‘adorable’ rare zebra foals

Watch a video of the new arrival exploring his surroundings

(Image credit: Blackpool Zoo)

Nanny goat ‘adopts’ orphaned foal after tragic loss of mare

Goat Sheshe is doing an excellent job of babysitting the orphaned foal and the pair have formed a close bond

“[Wakanda] is a massive cause for celebration as she is the only surviving female foal born in the UK since 2002,” said Mr Houston.

“After a fantastic summer here at Blackpool Zoo this momentous birth means we have all ended the season on a huge high.”

Hartmann’s mountain zebras are native to Namibia and are most commonly found in the Kunene region in the northwest of the country, which experiences harsh environmental conditions.

Studies indicate that numbers could decline by more than 10% in the next 25 years due to increased hunting and loss of habitat to agriculture.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Safari park welcomes two ‘adorable’ rare zebra foals

Becky Murray — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 06:06:09 +0000

A safari park has welcomed its second foal in four weeks from an endangered species of zebra.

West Midland Safari Park said the “adorable” colt, born in the early hours of 12 August, was steady on his feet within an hour of his birth. The foal, who the park has named Gamba, was born to first-time mum Montana and second-time dad, Quigley. Gamba joins Grace, who was born on 26 July to a mare called Akuna, also by Quigley.

The park said Grace, at 17 days older, has already been busy “showing her younger brother the ropes”.

Gamba spent his first day getting used to his surroundings and meeting the park’s other residents including a giraffe 6m tall.

The safari park’s African ungulates keeper Lauren Goodman said: “We were delighted to discover that we had another addition to the Grévy’s zebra family over the weekend. He joins his half-sister, Grace, on the African reserve and both are full of energy whilst exploring their new home. Mum Montana, who came from Poland Zoo, had been looking very uncomfortable over the past few days, but she foaled with no problems at all.

Rare Shetland/zebra foal born

Animal magic at the Eden Ostrich World in Cumbria, where an unexpected foal with stripes has been born

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Rare zebra unexpectedly gives birth to foal

Hartmann's mountain zebra Betty, who is 19, gave birth to her first foal last week

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Rider expands her yard to include zebras

Former GB team young rider Terri Hill has added a zebra herd to her yard near Bristol

“This is not only great news for the park, but also for the Grévy zebra as a species. With only approximately 3,000 left in the wild, they are classified as ‘endangered’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. We will take great pride in watching both of our new additions grow up over the coming months,” she said.

This month, the park dedicated a week to raising awareness for the Grévy’s species and funds for the Grévy’s Zebra Trust, which works with communities in Kenya and Ethiopia to engage them in wildlife protection.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

When is a horse not a horse? When it’s a hinny, a zorse or a zonkey…

Polly Bryan — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 07:24:35 +0000

With the likes of Wallace The Great and Fergus embarking on their affiliated dressage careers with success, the humble mule is a hot topic at the moment. British Dressage recently changed their stance on registering mules, and their current rules resemble that of the FEI, which states that a horse “refers also to a pony or other member of the genus equus unless the context requires otherwise. A horse shall be born from a mare”.

But while the concept of a mule — born from a female horse and a male donkey (a jack) — is fairly familiar, what other hybrid equines are out there, and which ones would, theoretically, be eligible to do dressage?

Hinny

Often mistaken for a mule, a hinny is born from a stallion horse and a female donkey, known as a jenny. They are rarer than mules and, according to The Donkey Sanctuary, would have the body of a donkey, but a head more akin to a horse. It is extremely rare for a mule or a hinny to be able to breed as, due to their inter-breeding, they have an odd number of chromosomes — 63, whereas a horse has 64 and a donkey 62.

Zorse

This is the term given to the offspring of a zebra and a horse, usually a male zebra and a mare, with a zebra-pony cross sometimes known as a zony. Zorses tend to feature the zebra striping over the top of a solid coloured coat and, if they have been born from a mare, would theoretically be allowed to be registered with BD. However, currently the only known zorse living in Europe is the 13.2hh gelding Zulu (pictured), who is by a zebra out of an Arab mare, and is owned by Shropshire’s Donkey Rescue UK.

Continues below…

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Is it a horse? Or a zebra? Meet Zulu the zorse

Members of the public have the chance to meet Zulu the zorse — a zebra/horse hybrid — later this month

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Zebra in Texas turns his hooves to showjumping

After a zebra constantly jumped out of his field, his American owner decided to put his talents to use

Zonkey/Zedonk

Even rarer than the zorse, a zonkey is a result of a crossing between a male zebra and a female donkey, while a zedonk is the offspring of a male donkey and a female zebra. Confused yet? A zonkey, known as Zee, also lives at Donkey Rescue UK.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Welcome Athena! Adorable foal boosts zebra population

Rachael Turner — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:26:17 +0000

An adorable new arrival has helped boost the population of a rare species of zebra.

Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Athena, was born on 5 March at Virginia Zoo in the United States.

Athena is the fourth filly for mother Abby, 16, and third for her father, seven-year-old Zack.

At birth she weighed 80lbs and stood at approximately three-feet-tall (9hh).

Keepers picked “Athena” based on the zoo’s tradition of choosing a name using the first initial of the mother’s name.

(Image credit: VAZOO)

“Abby is a great, experienced mum and is taking good care of baby Athena,” said Dr Colleen Clabbers, the zoo’s vet.

Mother and foal are being kept behind the scenes at the zoo during the cooler weather, but are planned to be moved into areas where the public can see them in the near future.

Athena will stay with to her mother for eight to 12 months before being weaned.

“This is a significant birth for the species as Hartmann’s mountain zebras are threatened in the wild and there are less than 60 individuals in the North American zoos as part of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan,” added a Virginia Zoo spokesman.

(Image credit: VAZOO)

Virginia Zoo has four Hartmann’s mountain zebras, Abby, Zack, Athena and 13-year-old Rose.

Continued below…

(Image credit: Sylvia Beaumont)

Moorland ponies ‘do not need rugs and stables’ despite public concern

The Moorland Mousie Trust has been contacted numerous times this winter by people concerned that the ponies were unable to

(Image credit: Sylvia Beaumont)

Night club closed after ‘inhumane’ incident involving horse

The club's business licence has been revoked

(Image credit: Sylvia Beaumont)

Rehoming hopes for one-eyed pony found ‘hours from death’

Three-year-old colt Valentino has come on leaps and bounds

The Hartmann’s mountain zebra is a subspecies of the mountain zebra, which is native to Angola and Namibia.

All zebra species are threatened or vulnerable to extinction. The biggest threats to the population are habitat loss due to farming and competition for water with livestock. Zebras are also poached for their skins.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Runaway zebra dies after falling into pond

Rachael Turner — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 11:56:51 +0000

A sedated runaway zebra has died after falling into a pond on a golf course.

The striped equine escaped from Mikuni West Farm in Aichi, eastern Japan, earlier this week (22 March).

Police pursued the animal, who ran on to a golf course.

Officers struggled to capture the zebra, so he was shot with a tranquiliser dart by a vet.

While continuing to evade his followers, the zebra then fell into a pond.

Reports state the group rushed to rescue the zebra from the water, before they realised he had already died.

“[The zebra] collapsed in the pond, so we hurriedly pulled it ashore, but its heart had stopped beating,” a police spokesman said.

He added that vets then performed cardiac massage on the animal, but it was not enough to save the zebra.

Circus escape

Last year (15 November) horseandhound.co.uk reported that two zebras caused havoc after they escaped from a circus in the United States.

The pair broke free from the UniverSoul Circus in Philadelphia.

The zebras ran through the streets from their base outside the Mann Center for the Performing They were loose for an hour before they were captured.

(Image credit: Twitter @Key_BlackBeauty)

Philadelphia Police posted on social media to inform the public that the zebras had been caught. No injuries were reported.

“Zebras in custody,” they tweeted. “They are already sporting old-timey prisoner getup ahead of trial and sentencing. Have faith, fellas.”

Members of the public also took to Twitter to express their shock at the loose animals.

Continued below…

Is it a horse? Or a zebra? Meet Zulu the zorse

Rare zebra unexpectedly gives birth to foal

Zebra in Texas turns his hooves to showjumping

“Two zebras escaped a circus and now they are running around west Philadelphia,” said Amanda Leigh.

“Zebras escaped and are running around west Philadelphia,” said Riley. “This is the real life Madagascar.”

Sonia O’Sullivan added: “Thats got to be first time a zebra has run across a zebra crossing!”

Zebras ‘in custody’ after circus escape

Rachael Turner — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 13:55:42 +0000

Two zebras caused havoc after they escaped from a circus in the United States earlier this month (15 November).

The pair broke free from the UniverSoul Circus in Philadelphia at around 2pm.

The zebras ran through the streets from their base outside the Mann Center for the Performing Arts.

They were loose for an hour before they were captured.

Philadelphia Police posted on social media to inform the public that the zebras had been caught. No injuries were reported.

“Zebras in custody,” they tweeted. “They are already sporting old-timey prisoner getup ahead of trial and sentencing. Have faith, fellas.”

Members of the public also took to Twitter to express their shock at the loose animals.

“Two zebras escaped a circus and now they are running around west Philadelphia,” said Amanda Leigh.

“Zebras escaped and are running around west Philadelphia,” said Riley. “This is the real life Madagascar.”

Sonia O’Sullivan added: “Thats got to be first time a zebra has run across a zebra crossing!”

Zorse for sale

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Meanwhile back in the UK, another equine with stripes has recently been looking for a new home.

Last month (October 4) horseandhound.co.uk reported that eight-year-old Zulu the zorse was for sale.

Zulu (pictured right) was sired by a zebra and is out of an Arab. He was bred in the US and imported to the UK four years ago, before his previous owner became unable to cope.

The 13.2hh gelding, believed to be the only zorse in Britain, was rehomed by donkey sanctuary Severn Valley Rescue in Bridgnorth in Shropshire.

Sanctuary owner Amanda Ball was looking for a new owner for the gelding so he can continue with his specialist training.

Is it a horse? Or a zebra? Meet Zulu the zorse

Amy Mathieson — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 15:00:17 +0000

Is it a horse? Is it a zebra? Zulu the zorse — a zebra/horse hybrid — is to star at the CLA Game Fair later this month.

Owners of 7-year-old Zulu, who lives in Shropshire at a donkey sanctuary, believes he is the only zorse in the UK.

He came over from America in 2012 and is being trained by Rebecca Townsend of equestrian display team Jive Pony.

Zulu will be part in an equestrian display at the CLA Game Fair, held at Ragley Hall, Warks (19-21 July).

Standing at 14.2hh, Zulu is by a Grants zebra and out of a grey Arab mare.

“The CLA Game Fair will be fantastic experience for Zulu, and a great opportunity for people to see a zorse,” said Rebecca.

“Zulu is highly intelligent. He loves being around horses and having a job to do. At the moment we are getting him used to human contact as he is still a wild animal.”

Rare zebra unexpectedly gives birth to foal

Charlotte White — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:12:48 +0000

There was a surprise new arrival at Blackpool Zoo last week, when a rare zebra unexpectedly gave birth to her first foal.

Betty is a Hartmann’s mountain zebra.

There are fewer than 9,000 mature zebras of this Namibian breed in the world, so the as yet unnamed colt is a significant addition to the European Endangered Species programme.

Keeper Sofie Fawzy arrived at work on 26 November to find the foal up and feeding.

The zoo had started to suspect that 19-year-old Betty was pregnant but had not realised the birth was so imminent.

“Mother and baby are doing very well,” said Sofie, who cared for the zoo’s previous zebra foal, Tebogo, who is rising two and recently moved to Germany.

“It’s fantastic to have another lively foal running around,” she added.

Zebra advertised for sale as circus sells animals

Horse & Hound — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:02:52 +0000

New owners are being sought for a group of performing horses and a zebra whose owner has decided to stop using animals in his circus.

Martin Lacey runs the Great British Circus, which also features tigers. Mr Lacey said he was stopping using animals because the Government was seeking to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.

“I am 70 this year so have decided to finish now,” he told H&H.

He will continue to run the Great British Circus.

Mr Lacey’s group of four Friesians, a zebra and two other horses that perform a “little and large” act are advertised for sale in H&H.

“Humbug” the zebra is a 12.2hh gelding and the last of a family bred by Mr Lacey.

“I’ve had mum, dad and three babies,” he said. “Four have gone to a private collector, along with some of my camels.

“They’re well handled and are like pets,” he said.

“They’re like family -but we have some very stupid people who think you have to knock seven bells out of them to make them do anything.”

Mr Lacey said he had received several enquiries from people wanting individual horses, but would prefer them to go as a group.

“The animals have all worked together all their lives,” he said.

For more information contact martinlaceyprivate@gmail.com

Around £150,000 worth of stock stolen from Zebra Products

Horse & Hound — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:31:09 +0000

Around £150,000 worth of equestrian stock has been stolen from Zebra Products.

Owner Simon Middleton said the burglary happened at the company’s Flintshire warehouse late on Tuesday 17 January or in the early hours of Wednesday 18 January.

“They broke the doors down, and police believe it was a professional job,” he said.

The company distributes around a dozen brands but the thieves targeted specific items.

The most distinctive item stolen was a yellow saddle – a prototype of a Vega single-flap jumping saddle made of unusual materials, including clarino, a synthetic leather-type material.

“The saddle was launched at BETA and made in 2004,” said Mr Middleton. “It’s very identifiable, no one else in the UK – possibly even in the world – has one.

“All the Konig boots were taken as well as Veredus boots, 15 Amerigo and Equipe saddles, plus a number of bridles and leatherwork.”

He added that Zebra is fully insured so the theft should be covered, but that replenishing the stock could take time.

“We had to stop trading and do a full stock take. We are heightening our security going forward,” he added.

“I will be offering a reward to anyone who provides information leading to an arrest.”

North Wales Police are investigating.

Anyone with information should contact North Wales Police on 0300 330 0101, Crimestoppers on 0800 5551111 or Simon from Zebra on 01352 763350

Zebra in Texas turns his hooves to showjumping

Horse & Hound — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:34:31 +0000

A zebra in Texas is earning his stripes — by trying some showjumping.

When six-year-old Zack the zebra kept jumping out of his field, his owner Sammi Jo Stohler from Willis, Texas decided to put his talent to use. And he took easily to the jumps she put up for him.

“He’s large pony size, but he jumps very easily,” she told US publication Chronicle of the Horse. “The first time I pointed him at the jump, I put it really low. But he likes jumping, and going higher was no problem.”

Sammi, who grew up on a ranch in Oregon had a career training horses before expanding into more exotic animals.

She got her first zebra 10 years ago and now has two — Zack and Charlie — as well as a zorse and a zedonk.

She was told zebras were untrainable and set out to prove doubters wrong and showcase their skills. She now rides Zack frequently and drives Charlie.

“To say something is untrainable implies that it can’t learn, and we all know that if they couldn’t learn, they’d all be extinct. They have to be able to learn and adapt. Obviously, the burden lies on the trainer to be able to train them,” she said.

“Zebras are very intelligent. When you teach them something, you don’t have to do a lot of review.”

She’s had Zack for two years, taking him on after his former owner wasn’t able to cope. He originally wasn’t at ease around humans, but with training is now able to be groomed and ridden.

“A lot of people don’t really know how to handle them, so they run into problems, and rather than trying to fix it, they give up,” she said.

“Originally, I was going to work with him, get him over some of his issues, and then sell him again, but he’s now going to stay with me.”

Zebra pizza on the menu at East Lancs takeaway

Amy Mathieson — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:52:06 +0000

Zebra pizza is now on the menu at an East Lancashire takeaway.

Last week H&H reported that L’Escargot Bleu had become the first restaurant in the UK to serve horsemeat, but it seems that tastes in the north of the UK are getting even more exotic.

Yummy Yummy Italia in Parker Lane, Burnley started serving the unusual topping earlier this year.

The takeaway also serves buffalo, venison, kangaroo and crocodile pizzas.

Owner Arash Fard told local press he saw frogs’ legs on a pizza on a trip to London and wanted to expand on the idea.

“I thought it would be something really different. I’ve had a few goes and tried a few different recipes but it is perfect now,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“The main thing I get from customers now is that they don’t believe that I am serving real zebra meat.

“But it is totally for real. The meat is all legal and all legitimate.”

The meat is sourced from alternative meat suppliers Kezie, in Berwickshire, who also sell python, crocodile and ostrich.

The zebra is reportedly from game parks in South Africa and is certified to EU food standards.

Yummy Yummy Italia sells around 20 zebra pizzas a week.

Rider expands her yard to include zebras

Horse & Hound — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:29:54 +0000

A small herd of equines more familiar on African plains than yards in the UK have become residents of a livery yard close to Bristol city centre.

Professional rider, livery yard owner and breeder, Terri Hill, has created an enclosure licensed to stable six wild equids, and currently has four zebras under her care.

“All of the zebras here are males and of UK origin,” Terri told H&H. “They have been passed to me as they were causing trouble at the zoos.”

Terri hopes to establish a bachelor herd of yearling zebras, which can be moved to zoos to breed when they reach maturity.

“Currently I’ve got one yearling from Africa Alive in Suffolk, that was causing friction in the herd, and one from Folly Farm in Pembroke that was clashing with another stallion.

“I’ve also got two from Dublin Zoo that were causing problems as they were teasing a rhino!”

Terri, who showjumped for Great Britain as a young rider in 1995 and has since competed different horses across all disciplines, spent two years negotiating before finalising the paperwork — a dangerous wild animals license – and completing the enclosure.

“I’m closely monitoring the zebras while they are here,” Terri continued. “In a couple of years I am hoping to be able to do a part-time PhD on the welfare of wild equids in captivity.”

Despite caring for and monitoring four wild zebras, Terri is still active on the competition circuit.

After coming 4th at Kingston Maurward elementary dressage to music on Shires Typhoon last weekend she is hoping to secure a wildcard entry for the National Dressage Championships.

Runaway zebra causes traffic chaos on motorway

Horse & Hound — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:41:05 +0000

A runaway zebra caused traffic chaos in Atlanta, Georgia, yesterday (Thursday 18 February) after escaping from a circus and galloping down a motorway.

Lima, a 12-year-old zebra from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus was being exercised when he spooked and bolted.

The zebra escaped from his trainers and darted through a fence before galloping down the motorway at about 4.30pm.

After a 40-minute chase the zebra was captured by police.

“All of a sudden a freaking zebra comes running down the street like a car,” witness Daniel Nance told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Five or six police cars were in hot pursuit. And a bunch of officers on foot. But then I got scared, thinking… what else is loose?”

The zebra was examined by a vet and reported to be unhurt.

“He obviously was excited, but he was in good shape. His handler calmed him down,” added a police spokesman.

Watch zebra being rescued from the motorway

Man taken to hospital after being bitten by a “ZeDonk”

Horse & Hound — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:57:46 +0000

A zebra-donkey hybrid from Spring Lake, Florida, will spend the next 14 days in quarantine after biting a man on the leg.

The hybrid, known as ZeDonk, bit zoo employee James Oleson, 34, while he was painting a fence near the animal’s enclosure at Boyett’s Grove on Monday (19 October).

ZeDonk pushed his head under the fence where James, the son of Boyett’s owners, was working and bit him on the foot before knocking him over. He contunied to bite him on the legs, until James’s mother, co-owner Kathy Oleson, came to the rescue.

Luckily James was not seriously hurt, just left a slightly shaken, and was taken to hospital where he was given a tetanus injection.

“There were no stitches, just some cuts and bruises,” Kathy Oleson told local press.

Boyett Grove has never before had a problem with ZeDonk, who is the same size as a small horse.

Mrs Oleson added: “He’s generally been agreeable. We don’t know what got into him but you never know with animals”.

Donkeys dyed to look like zebras at Gaza City zoo

Horse & Hound — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:46:29 +0000

Donkeys in a zoo in the Middle East are having an identity crisis — as they’ve been dyed to look like zebras.

When the zebras at Marah Land Zoo in Gaza City died earlier in the year owner Mohammed Bargouthi decided to disguise the donkeys as zebras — as the cost of replacing them with real zebras was too high.

He claims it would have cost almost £20,000 to get new zebras due to strict laws regarding importing animals.

He began by painting stripes on but felt it didn’t look quite right, so now uses hair colourant to dye black stripes on the white donkeys.

The latest addition to Bill Turner’s racing yard — a zebra

Amy Mathieson — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:57:47 +0000

Racehorse trainer Bill Turner is seeing stripes.

The newest addition to his Dorset racing yard, Sigwells Farm, is Zebedee, a 14-month-old zebra.

Bill bought Zebedee from a reserve in Holland for £4,500 and, in just over a fortnight, had broken and trained him enough to ride him to the local pub.

“I basically trained him the same way as I would a horse,” he told H&H. “At first it was a bit tricky to get tack on him — much like I expect it would be to tack up a wild mustang.”

Due to their tendency to panic, zebras are thought to be harder to train and control than horses. But Bill had few problems in breaking Zebedee.

“At the beginning,” said Bill, “he would come at you with his mouth open and boxing with his front feet. He hasn’t tried since though, he’s very kind.”

Breaking and training a zebra has always been one of Bill’s ambitions.

“If someone says you can’t do something, I always want to try,” he said.

Bill bought Zebedee, who currently stands at 13.2hh, as a pet for some friends. But now the trainer intends to keep him for a year to make sure he is safe and easy to catch.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (11 June, ’09)

Editor’s choice video: a Hebra (zebra cross horse)

Horse & Hound — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:18:48 +0000

Zebra successfully undergoes colic surgery in America

Horse & Hound — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:05:31 +0000

Colic surgery has been successfully performed on Dante, a two-year old zebra, at the Washington National Zoological Park in the US.

Dante had been visibly uncomfortable and lying down for uncharacteristically long periods of time, demonstration that there was a serious colic problem.

“When one of these animals is sick, it is pretty challenging because, as prey animals, they tend to hide pain,” said Carlos Sanchez, associate vet at the zoo.

It was a routine operation for vet Jennifer Brown, who is the clinical assistant professor in emergency care and equine surgery at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Centre, but unlike domestic horses, zebras are unapproachable without anaesthetic and dangerous to handle. They are also harder to anaesthetise. Once on the operating table the process is similar to that used on a horse.

“Once his stripes were covered up, I couldn’t tell the difference between him and a horse — they have almost the same gastrointestinal tract, although colic is fairly uncommon among zebras,” she said.

Dante was returned to the zoo 10 days after surgery to continue his successful recuperation.

Latest from Horse & Hound in Zebra

A ‘significant moment’ as endangered species foal born in the UK

You may also be interested in:

‘It has been a long wait’: delight as endangered foal born in Britain

You might also be interested in:

New research could hold the key to combating horse flies

A new study from the University of Bristol has built on previous research to look at the reasons why horse flies do not want to land on stripes.

They found that stark black-white distinctions and small dark patches were particularly effective in thwarting attacks. Their theory is that thin black stripes minimise large, monochrome dark patches, which horse flies would find appealing.

“We knew that horse flies are averse to landing on striped objects – a number of studies have now shown this, but it is not clear which aspects of stripes they find aversive,” said co-author Tim Caro.

“Is it the thinness of the stripes? The contrast of black and white? The polarised signal that can be given off objects? So we set out to explore these issues using different patterned cloths draped over horses and filmed incoming horse flies.”

They found that horse flies are attracted to large, dark objects, but less so to dark, broken patterns. All-grey rugs were associated with by far the most landings, followed by those with large black triangles, then small checkerboard patterns.

In another experiment, they found contrasting stripes attracted few flies, while stripes that were less contrasting were more attractive.

“This suggests that any hoofed animal that reduces its overall dark outline against the sky will benefit in terms of reduced ectoparasite attack,” added Professor Caro.

“We know that zebra pelage (fur) is short, enabling horsefly mouthparts to reach the skin and blood capillaries below, which may make them particularly susceptible to fly annoyance.

“But more important, perhaps, is that the diseases that they carry are fatal to the horse family, but less so to ungulates. This needs investigation.”

The research was led by Professor Caro and Martin How, from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences.

You might also be interested in:

Tapirs and zebras tuck into horse feed – and peppers

Residents who enjoy the chaff include the lowland tapir, the plains zebra, the bactrian camels and the red deer.

Paradise head keeper James Cork said Dengie has been on the menu at the park for over 15 years.

“We mix it with their concentrate feeds and have found this to be a great product for increasing the animals’ roughage,” he said.

“It’s clear to see that all the animals enjoy their Alfa-A, particularly our bactrian camels, who love grabbing mouthfuls out of their feed buckets before we have even placed the food in their troughs!”

“The animals at Paradise Wildlife Park also have various forms of enrichment including treat balls, branches and forage at varying levels including hay racks and feed troughs,” a Dengie spokesman said.

You might also be interested in:

Rare breed zebra foal delights visitors with surprise arrival

Joy as zoo welcomes safe arrival of two extremely rare foals

You might also be interested in:

Newborn zebra foal delighting zoo staff with his ‘zoomies’

Devastation as zebra foal dies after local fireworks displays

Delight as foal of one of world’s rarest species is born in the UK

Newborn zebra brings ray of Hope as world battles health crisis

Photographer surprised by rare spotted zebra

‘Miracle’ zebra foal boost to endangered breed

You might also be interested in:

Safari park welcomes two ‘adorable’ rare zebra foals

When is a horse not a horse? When it’s a hinny, a zorse or a zonkey…

Welcome Athena! Adorable foal boosts zebra population

Runaway zebra dies after falling into pond

Circus escape

Zebras ‘in custody’ after circus escape

Zorse for sale

Is it a horse? Or a zebra? Meet Zulu the zorse

Rare zebra unexpectedly gives birth to foal

Zebra advertised for sale as circus sells animals

Around £150,000 worth of stock stolen from Zebra Products

Zebra in Texas turns his hooves to showjumping

Zebra pizza on the menu at East Lancs takeaway

Rider expands her yard to include zebras

Runaway zebra causes traffic chaos on motorway

Man taken to hospital after being bitten by a “ZeDonk”

Donkeys dyed to look like zebras at Gaza City zoo

The latest addition to Bill Turner’s racing yard — a zebra

Editor’s choice video: a Hebra (zebra cross horse)

Zebra successfully undergoes colic surgery in America