Ajani, a Grevy's zebra born at Reid Park Zoo more than a year ago, died Monday morning in a freak accident.
The young zebra died after he was "suddenly startled by another zebra" and Ajani "ran into the normal enclosure barrier, fracturing his neck", said Vivian VanPeenen, a spokeswoman for the zoo, in a news release.
"Zoo keepers witnessed the accident and the veterinary team immediately performed CPR in attempts to revive the zebra," VanPeenen said.
"While a full post-mortem exam will be completed, an X-ray on site revealed the physical trauma to the vertebrae was not survivable," she said.
The fatal accident occurred during the preparation for routine, required vaccinations scheduled for veterinary rounds. Ajani was separated from the rest of the herd when he was startled and ran into the barrier.
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The accident occurred in an interior area of the exhibit that is not visible to the public, VanPeenen said.
The other zebras were all on exhibit or in separate behind-the-scenes areas, she said.
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