Paula the Zebra (Unknown-2025)
Obituary
Paula died following a collision with a gate at the Columbus Zoo in September.
Paula, a zebra, died at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in September 2025 after colliding with a gate. The zoo said “new visual barriers and safeguards” were installed after her death, but these kinds of fatal accidents are common for zebras in zoos.
Zebras are under threat in the wild. Grevy’s zebras are endangered, and mountain and plain zebras are vulnerable and near threatened. The biggest threats to zebras are shrinking habitats from farming expansion, urban growth, and hunting for their skin, meat, and body parts. Paula was a Grant’s zebra, a subset of plain zebras. Like all zebras, they are deeply social and spend time grazing together and grooming one another.
Zebras are prey animals who are easily startled. Samantha, a 24-year-old plains zebra, died at a Rhode Island zoo after running into a fence during a storm in July 2025. Stuart, a six-year-old zebra, died at the Milwaukee County Zoo after colliding with a fence post in 2023, and Mosi, a three-year-old zebra, died after running into a corral at Zoo Knoxville in 2024. These accidents will continue as long as zebras are kept in captivity. Zebras roam for miles in the wild and are poorly suited to small enclosures. World Animal Protection urges everyone who loves zebras to avoid zoos and enjoy them in the wild or at accredited sanctuaries.
