KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A zebra died at Zoo Knoxville this week, marking the fourth death of a zebra at the zoo in the last three years.
Mosi, a three-year-old Hartmann’s mountain zebra, was running on Wednesday, February 7, with his herd-mate Rosie when he was injured. The zoo shared that he died instantly. A necropsy performed at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine determined the cause of death was a broken neck.
“Zebra have a very strong flight instinct,” said Dr. Andrew Cushing, UTCVM clinical associate professor and specialist in zoological medicine. “Unfortunately, that instinct can set them in motion before they know where they are going. We try to make their habitat as suitable for the species as possible, including things like using shade cloth over fences, visual barriers, removal of obstacles like poles and trees-anything to remove the potential for this happening. Unfortunately, you can’t anticipate every possible scenario.”
The zoo said that the habitat met all “safety and care criteria of both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)”. The zoo had previously conducted a review of the habitat following another zebra, Lydia, being fatally injured in 2023 after being startled by an emergency vehicle . They said that the perimeter barriers were modified to improve visibility for the zebras.