No timeline for how long zebras stay at Saskatoon zoo

There’s still no answer as to how long a dazzle of five zebras will call Saskatoon home.

After being seized off a rural property by conservation officers last month, the city’s Forestry Farm Park & Zoo is fostering the animals as an investigation continues under Saskatchewan’s Captive Wildlife Regulations.

Zoo manager Jeff Mitchell said as of right now, there isn’t a timeline or indication as to how long the zebras will remain in the zoo’s care, but the zoo will hold on to the zebras as long as the province needs.

“My main concern is the health and well-being of the zebras,” Mitchell said.

For the first two weeks after their arrival, the animals were kept in a more secluded back area as they adjusted to new surroundings.

“It’s very stressful for any animal to get moved,” Mitchell said.

Now, the zebras are more comfortable in the pasture areas and yard, and quickly picked up on routines with the zookeepers.

“We were keeping a close eye on them,” Mitchell said, adding the zebras went through a mandatory quarantine and veterinary examinations.

These zebras require special care, Mitchell explained. The zoo has worked with nutritionists to develop a special feed based on Saskatchewan’s environment.

“Saskatchewan winters are long, the grass is different, and the things they do out here are different (than) in the wild,” he said, adding so far the zoo has ordered more than 3,000 pounds of feed for the animals.

Mitchell said the zebras can handle temperatures as low as -10 C, but anything lower can be very dangerous for them.

The zoo has a heated barn for the zebras, but a plan is being worked on for a longer-term solution in case the zebras stay for the winter.

An interesting fact about zebras, Mitchell explained, is that no two zebras are alike. Just like fingerprints, every stripe on a zebra is unique.

They can also be aggressive animals because of their powerful kick, he added.

“Their kick has been known to kill lions,” Mitchell said.

This isn’t the first time the zoo has taken in animals as part of a wildlife investigation. Mitchell explained the zoo has taken in different species of snakes, turtles and tortoises — some of them being quite large and aggressive.

“This is some of the conservation work we do. Being the only CAZA(Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums)-accredited facility in Saskatchewan, we’re looked at as kind of the experts in the field for this,” Mitchell said.