Visitors to Fife Zoo will get an up-close-and-personal look at zebras thanks to a new paddock extension opening this weekend.
Until now, the endangered zebras were only visible from a distance – but they will be on full display from Saturday.
Fife Zoo is home to a bachelor herd of four male Grevy’s zebras.
They were the first animals to join the Ladybank attraction in 2017 – two years before the zoo officially opened.
There are currently fewer than 2,000 Grevy’s zebras left in the wild.
The zoo welcomed the first pair – Jez and Marty – from West Midlands Safari Park in April 2017.
A second pair, named Allingham and Archie from Edinburgh Zoo, arrived in September 2019.
Excitement as zebra paddock opens
Fife Zoo director Michael Knight said: “We fully appreciate this expansion has been under development for a very long time now.
“The zebras have been at the zoo longer than any other animals and we know visitors have been incredibly patient while we develop out towards that area of the zoo.
“We’re all incredibly excited for visitors to be able to view the zebras properly.”
Grevy’s zebras are the largest of the zebra species and naturally occur in East African grasslands in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Like all zebras, Grevy’s have distinct black and white stripes, unique to each individual zebra – just like human fingerprints.
Grevy’s zebras are classed as Endangered by the IUCN with less than 2,000 left in the wild.
Threats to wild zebras include habitat loss and fragmentation, drought, poaching and competition with domestic livestock.
Although not a breeding herd, the Grevy’s zebras at Fife Zoo are part of the European breeding programme and act as ambassadors for wild Grevy’s zebras.
Fife Zoo has supported the conservation work carried out by the Grevy’s Zebra Trust in East Africa since 2017.
