A zebra at Werribee Open Range Zoo is recovering from a special medical procedure.
Female Plains zebra Zaide underwent an operation on the open savannah recently, as keepers and veterinary staff worked to remove part of her tail to treat a pre-existing injury.
After senior veterinarian Bonnie McMeekin sedated Zaide, the team quickly moved in to surround the unconscious zebra as her herd watched on.
Once the tail was successfully treated, keepers moved to a safe distance to monitor Zaide’s recovery.
Zari, Zaide’s four-month-old daughter, kept close to her mother for the rest of the day.
Zoo savannah keeper Mark Ireland said he and his colleagues believed one of the zebra stallions might have injured Zaide’s tail by biting it.
“Over time it’s healed up and become a little bit bulbous on the end, causing a bit of a lesion on her side when she’s flicking her tail,” he said.
Mr Ireland said Plains Zebras are a species known for their strong and aggressive nature, often successfully fending off large predators in the wild such as lions.
“Zebras look cute and cuddly, but they can kick like mules and bite like crocodiles,” he said.
“It’s something we have to be mindful of.”
Mr Ireland said the Werribee Zoo team were pleased with the success of the Zaide’s operation.
“It went really well,” he said.
“Zaide is back on the savannah and very easy to spot with her bright green bandage around her tail, so visitors are sure to see her when they’re out on the savannah.”
See https://www.zoo.org.au/werribee/ for details.
