Dehiwala Zoo zebra recovers after emergency surgery

A zebra at Dehiwala Zoological Garden has improved after emergency surgery, the Department of National Zoological Gardens said. Daily Mirror reported that the procedure was needed to address a digestive blockage; Newswire provided details of the diagnosis and recovery.

Newswire said the zebra had been showing signs of illness from September 29. Veterinary staff carried out laboratory tests and a scan, which revealed the blockage and prompted an urgent operation.

The procedure was held on October 9, involving veterinary officers and department employees. Dr. Dammika Perera, a University of Peradeniya Faculty of Veterinary Medicine senior lecturer specialising in equine species, guided and participated in the operation. It lasted several hours, ending in the early hours of the next day, and surgeons removed a quantity of undigested food.

The zebra received close veterinary care for several days after surgery. The department said it is recovering well and has resumed its customary feeding. It acknowledged Dr. Perera, veterinary surgeon Dr. Hasitha Rupathunga, Dehiwala Zoo Veterinary Hospital staff and animal-care teams for their roles in the operation and the animal’s recovery.