DALLAS – A zebra at the Dallas Zoo has died following what staff describe as a “tragic accident.”
According to social media posts from the zoo, the 6-year-old Hartmann’s mountain zebra named Keeya was found with a head injury in the Savanna habitat on Monday.
No staff saw what happened to the zebra, but they say it’s possible she was injured by another animal in the exhibit.
Veterinarians spent several hours trying to save the zebra before they ultimately decided to euthanize her.
A necropsy was conducted and found that Keeya had a fractured spine and likely would have lost the use of her legs and it was “impossible for her to recover.”
“Keeya was a protective and attentive mother to Malawa, who was the first Hartmann’s mountain zebra born here at the Dallas Zoo in January 2020. She was known by her zoologists to be a shy, but sweet zebra who also had a silly side — she was frequently spotted rolling around playfully in her habitat or chasing after boisterous Malawa. Keeya will be deeply missed,” read a post announcing the zebra’s death.
Thousands of people have reacted to that social media post, many offering condolences to zoo staff.