January 31 is International Zebra Day. The holiday was initiated by environmental organizations, including the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
The purpose of International Zebra Day is to help preserve these unique animals.
Symbols of beauty and freedom are considered to be horses and their relatives, among which are zebras or, as they were called in ancient times, "tiger horses".
For more than 40 years Mykolaiv Zoo keeps zebras. Of the 4 species of zebras that exist in nature, the zoo had 3 species.
At present, Chapman's zebras (Equus quagga chapmani) live in Mykolaiv Zoo. This is a subspecies of Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga). It is considered to be the most common species of zebra.
We have four representatives of this subspecies: couple Aladdin and Bianca and their children – male Basar (born in 2019) and young female Bayra (born in 2021); her name was given by young biologists of Mykolaiv Zoo.
One Grant's zebra (Equus quagga boehmi) named Zorka was kept in the old territory of the zoo. And from 1986 till 1988, one pair of Grévy's zebras (Equus grevyi) was kept in the new territory. In the history of keeping and breeding zebras in the zoo in the new area, 16 calves were born, which were transferred to different zoos.
At the disposal of our zebras are spacious summer enclosures with canopies and a warm winter room, which constantly maintains a temperature of about + 18˚C. Data on the temperature of the winter room are monitored by employees of the department and recorded in a special journal. And in the winter room there is an ultraviolet lamp, which replaces the sun's rays. This is created to provide the animal with all the necessary living conditions in captivity. The winter room for zebras also has a wooden floor, which is an environmentally friendly and safe material and is characterized by strength and reliability. Also in this room there are feeders, which contain water and salt-lick, which contains a set of mineral salts that improve the life of the animal. Although zebras spend the winter indoors at the zoo, when the weather is warm and sunny in winter, they never refuse to run in a summer enclosure.
The winter diet of one zebra per day is: hay (6.5 kg), vegetables (4 kg), grain forage (1 kg).
Keeping zebras in its collection, Mykolaiv Zoo does everything possible to provide them with good living conditions, thanks to which the animals feel good, have a good appetite, and successfully breed.
