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A new set of stripes: Zoo Knoxville welcomes three new Mountain Zebras

Zoo Knoxville welcomed three new Mountain Zebras to its Asian Trek after years of work to acquire the threatened species as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan.

A zebra transfer that's been years in the making for Zoo Knoxville finally came to fruition last week as the zoo welcomed three new Mountain Zebras.

Zoo Knoxville said three Hartmann's Mountain Zebras arrived last week as part of the Mountain Zebra Species Survival Plan.

Three Mountain Zebras arrive at Zoo Knoxville. (Photo: Zoo Knoxville)

The zoo been working to welcome these zebras for at least two years, as they need to acquire permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The zoo said it received those permits in January after it sent its two male Plains Zebras to Scoville Zoo in Decatur, Ill. last August as part of a species swap.

"There are about 650,000 plains zebras left in the wild and the mountain zebras, there's roughly only about 8,000. Their numbers have definitely declined more and it's a program that needs more support," Petty Grieve, the curator of Zoo Knoxville's Asian Trek & Grasslands exhibit said.

The two new female zebras and male zebra are now in off-exhibit holding for roughly two weeks until they can get acquainted with their new surroundings.

Three mountain zebras are introduced to their giraffe neighbors for the first time. 

The zoo said the three were calm when they arrived and got to meet their neighboring giraffes for the first time.

Zoo Knoxville said it expects to introduce the three to the public at its Asian Trek and Grasslands exhibit in the coming weeks once it's able to introduce the male to the two females and they are settled together.

The zoo will need extra time to acclimate the zebras to the giraffes in the exhibit as well, so for a few months people at the zoo will likely either see just the giraffes or the zebras out until they can have all of them out sharing space together.

Vote for Gibbon Trails and Langur Landing Best Zoo Exhibit

"Zoo Knoxville debuted their newest exhibit, Gibbon Trails and Langur Landing, in March 2018. Park of the Boyd Family Asian Trek, the exhibit includes a 45-foot treehouse with multi-level viewing areas where visitors can observe the animals as they run and swing through interconnected aerial mesh tunnels. Zoo Knoxville is one of only five accredited facilities to display langurs, including baby Opie born in December 2017."

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