Dazzle of zebras to stay in Saskatoon this winter but need a new barn

A dazzle of five zebras at Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park and Zoo will be calling the prairies home this winter.

The animals were taken off of a rural property in June earlier this year, and are part of an ongoing investigation through Saskatchewan’s Captive Wildlife Regulations.

This winter, the zebras are in need of a new barn as temperatures drop, explained zoo manager Jeff Mitchell.

The city has come out with a post-budget capital project for a new facility with a budget of $100,000 to be funded by the province.

Mitchell said the money will be put toward expanding the elk enclosure, where the zebras are staying with a bigger barn and added heat.

Five zebras will be making Saskatoon their home this winter. (Mia Holowaychuk/ 650 CKOM)

Mitchell explained that since zebras are from Africa, they can only handle temperatures down to around minus nine, noting that they can be outside grazing in those temperatures even if there is snow.

“We just want to make sure that our barn is large enough and capable of being able to provide appropriate housing for them,” he said.

Mitchell said the zoo follows Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums guidelines to ensure the safety of the animals, and the current barn is not big enough to house all five zebras.

The zebras need about 500 square feet of space per animal, and the current barn only provides around 250 square feet, he explained, adding that the need for a new barn is fairly urgent, as snow is expected to fall starting as early as this week.

“The zebras are going to be inside and not dealing with that cold very much when it gets really really cold,” Mitchell said.

So far, Mitchell explained the reaction from both the city and the province has been positive about the project.

The zebras are adapting to their new home, Mitchell said, adding that zookeepers have learned the personalities of the animals, and can tell the zebras apart from their stripes too.

“Thir stripes are just like fingerprints.”

Mitchell said there is still no timeline as to how long the zebras will be at the zoo, and the zebras are currently under the ownership of the province.