Twycross Zoo announces a week of celebrations to mark International Zebra Day

Twycross Zoo has unveiled a week of special on-site activities for visitors to enjoy to mark International Zebra Day (31 January 2023).

The leading conservation charity is set to extend the fun and celebrate the iconic species on-site from Saturday 28 January – Sunday 5 February, with an array of exciting and educational activity planned for visitors to enjoy as part of their visit to the Zoo.

Twycross Zoo, which is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year, is currently home to four male Chapman’s zebra named after regions of Namibia and Botswana, where they can be found in the wild. The Leicestershire-based Zoo welcomed Serowe (age 9), Usakos (age 9), Windhoek (age 10) and Ntwetwe (age 10) in 2014 and has cared for them ever since.

To mark International Zebra Day, families are invited to the 100-acre site to join in on the celebrations where they can meet the Zoo’s four zebra’s and get hands-on with painting and craft activity to help build Twycross Zoo’s ‘Zebra Mural’ – a piece of art that aims to help raise awareness of the species and animal conservation.

Visitors can also enjoy daily talks from the Zoo’s award-winning education team and learn everything there is to know about one of Africa’s most iconic grazing animals, get up close and personal to a pair of life-sized Zebra puppets*, before heading to the on-site Twycross Zoo gift shop to pick up Zebra-themed goodies at a discounted rate.

Renowned for their black and white stripes, there are a number of reasons suggested to explain zebra stripes, including dazzling predators, thermal regulation and stimulating group cohesion. In the wild, Chapman’s zebra can be found throughout east and southern Africa, with a large proportion of the population found in Zimbabwe. They travel long distances across the plains for food, often being the first species to use new areas of grassland.

Yianna Cooling, Animal Team Manager (Mammals) at Twycross Zoo, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to house four Chapman’s zebra at the Zoo. The species are some of the Zoo’s most popular and well-loved inhabitants due to their iconic and striking stripes, and it’s wonderful to be able to extend the fun and celebrate International Zebra Day with our visitors.

“A day out to Twycross Zoo is so much more than just a day out, as every visit and the ongoing support of the public enables us to continue our vital conservation work and preserve and protect the species with whom we share our planet.”