St. Paul's Como Zoo welcomes two zebras, Khomas and Keanu
A zebra from Boston and his son are now calling Como Park Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota, their home.
Khomas, a 7-year-old male and his 1-year-old son Keanu have joined the zebra yard. The pair came from Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.
Khomas and Keanu, who weigh 825 pounds and 550 pounds respectively, are both Hartmann's Mountain Zebras, which are typically taller and heavier than the Plains zebras. They're native to the mountains of southwestern Africa and can thrive in cooler, drier climates.
They've joined Como's 25-year-old Plans zebra Ulysses. The zoo says the initial introductions went well; the zebras were eating and rolling around, which are signs that they are comfortable and relaxed.
"We introduced the zebras right away because, in theory, all three males are unbonded and naturally seek to form a herd," said Senior Zookeeper Jill Erzar. "It's been wonderful to see how smoothly the introductions have gone and how comfortable they already seem in their new surroundings."
On Monday, Como's new 4-year-old polar bear Astra made her debut. Zoo officials say she came from Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington. They're hoping she'll mate with 5-year-old Kulu in an effort to increase the population of the threatened species.