Overgrown feet on a zoo zebra - is it ok?

itsonlyme

itsonlyme

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We recently visited a zoo (not sure Im allowed to say which one!)
I have a few complaints; most being to do with the pathetic enclosures some of the animals were in, and the amount of stereotypic behaviours they were displaying.
Anyhoo, i know zebras will probably (definitely!) have to be sedated for hoof trims but how long is it ok for them to get inbetween? I just wasn't happy at all with them but i don't know if Im ovet-reacting? Want to check before i put pen to paper! :)

2012-05-17142356.jpg
 
Definitely needs trimming, like you said they do need sedating and I think I heard somewhere that the more that they sedate them etc the more harm or something it does to them (something along those lines anyway) BUT no excuse for those sebra's hooves to be in that state IMO
 
They need trimming and then an enclosure creating with suitable surfaces to keep them worn down... they may even benefit from a paddock paradise track system by the looks of it ;)
 
OMG! They look terrible :eek:

Never seen a wild Zebra so not sure what their feet usually look like but I would assume similar to a horse. They are so long in this pic!

Surely UK Zoo's have regular inspections though so this should be addressed??
 
They do need sedating - saw it on a programme once. The ground does look quite rough there, but I expect they have to go a little longer between trims than we horse owners would like due to the need for sedation. I expect they can't just walk up to them and give them a jab either!
 
diamondrockharvey said:
OMG! They look terrible :eek:

Never seen a wild Zebra so not sure what their feet usually look like but I would assume similar to a horse. They are so long in this pic!

Surely UK Zoo's have regular inspections though so this should be addressed??
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http://famouswonders.com/wp-content...ter/wild-animals-zebra-wildebeest-in-back.jpg Wild Zebby. Not taken by me.

I watched a zoo program where they'd taught the Okapi to stand for the farrier (different hooves, but still would need a trim). I don't think there's any excuse for letting them get THAT bad. All the Zebbies I've seen in the zoo have had great hooves.
 
Pea gravel - stat!

Compared to how they SHOULD look.

zebrahooves.jpg


There is no excuse for a to zoo to fail to provide the correct environment to allow hooves to wear down naturally. It's not complicated or prohibitively expensive (Rockley Farm has managed it successfully!).

The excess growth on that zebra is neglect.
 
Oberon said:
The excess growth on that zebra is neglect.
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This is why I dislike many Zoos. The animals are neither tame or wild but in some kind of limbo where they aren't given the facilities they need and then have to be routinely sedated for basic care.

Judging by the way the Zebra is standing I expect there is more going on than just over grown hooves. What were the front hooves like?
 
That is dreadful and won't have happened in only a few months even!!! Zebras have very strong feet which means they won't break off. Imaging the stress on those poor fetlocks and hocks. :( No excuse - poor animal management.
 
Most Zoos with zebra's have them done 2 or possibly even 3 times a year max and provide suitable surfaces for them to be able to self regulate their feet growth as per in the wild.
1 wildlife park has theirs done/checked just once year when full health checks are due - and their Zebra's feet look pretty good all year round.

Unfortunately, those kept in small enclosures also get too much of the wrong feed & also not moving enough on the right sort of surfaces :(
 
Thanks everybody. Think i might put the link to this post in my email!

Here are the fronts. Rubbish quality pic though, sorry!

2012-05-17142346-1.jpg


There were 4 zebras. This is a stallion. There was another zebra in the padlock with him. Locked in the stable area were 2 others. Apparently they were separate due to bullying issues. Not surprised - there's sod-all else to do! I used to have a work placement there a few years back and i know that the animals tend to be confined to the hardcore/indoor areas in wet weather. The paddocks are trashed so easily because they're so small.
As for the giraffe enclosure, don't even get me started...!!! :/
 
Re Rookfoot's link I think Okapi are probably the most beautiful animals too. Think I've said that before though. lol

I just googled Zebra hooves and the first thing that came up was this.
http://www.threeringranch.org/articles/swava_zebra_feet.pdf

Those look a bit different to me. What about tracks for Zebra? lol

ps.Thanks for the front hooves pic. It's amazing how pointy they go when over grown.
 
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I work in 3 zoos, and have an uphill task when it comes to foot management

1) Diet, there is only one full time Zoo nutritionist working the UK that I know of
One of my jobs is to try and get the zoos to feed the right diet especially to the zebras, and I have to say it is not an easy job.
I often find the vet and I will agree, then we have to persuade the keepers who don’t, or visa versa
2) Conditions, I have had good results with getting Zebras to be put on abrasive surfaces, only to find someone thinks it is cruel (even for just 20 mins a day) so it is stopped

I also teach a system called Little learning ( more details soon to be on my site) which is based around join-up, I would love to trim the zebras standing as this would mean we could do them more often, but guess what, Health and safety will not allow it!!!plus the zoos say the animals must look wild!!!

Zebras feet are more like Donkeys than horses, they have a very thick sole and small frog (as you can see on my site) they also have a very thick wall which if not kept in check will soon grow out in the toe and cause the zebra to walk back on its heels.
The wall angle is more upright than the horse thus suited far better for going over rough ground, and keeping its self well trimmed when in the right environment.
It would be far more educational and healthier to see these animals in there natural environment. ie no grass, lots of stony paths, eating dried grass, having to travel (track system, Jamie Jackson) for water.
 
moorman said:
I work in 3 zoos, and have an uphill task when it comes to foot management

1) Diet, there is only one full time Zoo nutritionist working the UK that I know of
One of my jobs is to try and get the zoos to feed the right diet especially to the zebras, and I have to say it is not an easy job.
I often find the vet and I will agree, then we have to persuade the keepers who don’t, or visa versa
2) Conditions, I have had good results with getting Zebras to be put on abrasive surfaces, only to find someone thinks it is cruel (even for just 20 mins a day) so it is stopped
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I'm no professional but this sounds all too familiar in the wider horse world. Good luck.

I will look forward with interest to your 'little learning' on your site.
 
Thank you all :) And moorman, I completely agree with everything you have said and just wish the zoos would think like that too :( When i had a placement there, the zebras were fed carrots, apples, economy mix and some chaff! Along with hay/haylage in racks. So basically, like a domestic horse and Not at all what a zebra would get in the wild.
I have emailed them, so I'll see if i get a reply....if not, I'll name and shame :)
Thank u again.
 
i think thats probably doing damage to the zebras legs and if u saw it on a horse it would be reported.


sort of not to the point but have been to doncaster wildlife park recently and was very impressed by how the animals were kept. for example there were zebras and ostrages( sorry cant spell) and other wild animals that would be together in the wild and all were active and showing very normal behaviour. also the lions had a very large and interesting enclosure.
 
If this zoo is not able to provide suitably large enclosures so that the animals can roam about with some similarity with distances travelled in the wild, then they should be shut down and the animals taken into other zoo's with better facilities. Sorry but if the giraffes are kept worse than this zebra, then they are failing to care for them properly and it then becomes neglect.
The basic needs of the animals should be paramount.
That said, if this is a stallion, perhaps he fights any attempts to sedate him and is a danger to anything and everyone. Also he may have had too many anasthetics already, but then, are they going to leave it like that?? I really hope not.
 
I'd be interested to know which zoo this is too if you could pm me?

I went to one the other day and was disappointed with a horses enclosure. He was a stallion and in a tiny area, looked utterly miserable, no real grass and an empty feed bucket, no hay/haylage. The zebras where we went to were not close enough to see properly but they were in a rather small paddock too with a large gravel area.

Its a shame because I used to love this place but it seems they have more animals and not enough space.

One thing that I did like is the giraffes were roaming in a huge field, last time I saw them, they were in a little enclosure
 
Isn't there some king of 'zoo check' organisation? Please report this zoo if it really is that bad. Back it up with your evidence and what you have seen. Don't let the animals suffer any longer.
 
itsonlyme said:
I have emailed them, so I'll see if i get a reply....
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Good on you. The more people that complain or comment the better when they see things like this. Zoos need public support so will (hopefully) listen if there is enough public opinion.
 
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