Both happiness and sadness came in black-and-white this week.

Just as the past few days brought so much joy with the arrival of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, we also had to say goodbye to a special member of our African Savanna herd: Imara the zebra, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this week. The Zebra Care Team shares: “The cute zebra with the white-tipped ears, Imara came to us just a few years ago and quickly earned a place in our hearts. She and male Wembe bonded quickly to make a herd of two. It took Imara a little longer to welcome new female Neighomi into her circle, but once she did, the two of them were best buds, and Imara bridged the acceptance gap between Neighomi and Wembe. Out on the African Savanna habitat is where her spunky personality really shone. In typical zebra fashion, she tried to rule the habitat, chasing the other zebras from time to time and trying to push the giraffes out of the way at the alfalfa feeder. She will be greatly missed.” The team is keeping a close eye on Wembe and Neighomi and are providing extra TLC to ensure they adjust to her loss. Our thoughts are with Imara’s caregivers. (Photo: Susan W.)