A beloved 27-year-old zebra named Zipper has died after being fatally injured by another animal inside her shared enclosure at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island. Zoo staff said the wound was "presumably inflicted by a habitat mate," and despite an urgent effort to bring in specialists for emergency surgery, the injury proved too severe, leading vets to euthanise her. The zoo has not named the animal responsible and is now investigating the incident to prevent similar occurrences.

Zipper lived in a mixed-species habitat alongside wildebeest and Watusi cattle, the latter known for their large horns, though officials have not confirmed which animal caused the fatal injury. She had been a fixture at the zoo for more than two decades and was known among staff for her confident, food-motivated personality, particularly her fondness for carrots. Her keeper described the loss as devastating for the "hoofstock yard," especially for Tundra, the zoo's remaining zebra, who is now under close observation and being prepared for the arrival of new companions.