Summer loving...

Meet Zigzag who is hoping to set hearts a flutter among the Zebra herd at Longleat in Wiltshire.

The 15-year-old is at the estate for a summer holiday from Hamerton Zoo Park in Cambridgeshire.and by the time he returns to his established home, Longleat keepers are hoping to be preparing for the pitter patter of tiny hooves for its anniversary year in 2026.

The gestation period for Zebras is around 12 months which will mean foals could be roaming the Safari Park next summer.

Longleat was the first drive through safari park to open outside of Africa in 1966 and 60 years on the estate remains committed to conservation and the protection of endangered species.

“Throughout the six decades we have ensured conservation, sustainability and education have been key to our offer for guests to experience and breeding zebras is part of this,” said Darren Beasley, Head of Animal Operations.

“Zebras are classed as near threatened which means the species may be facing threats in the wild that could lead to its decline and potential endangerment in the coming years.

Eloise Kilbane, Lead Keeper, added: “We are hoping Zigzag will help us to start a new blood line and he has already taken a shine to our three mares – Kichaa, Poppy and Kibibi – and importantly they to them.

“He is very confident and led the girls to the main park within days of his arrival and introduced himself to the Ostrich, Wildebeest and Giraffe which share the reserve with the Zebra.

“Kibibi is keeping her distance but Zigzag regularly checks on her and all three girls have been seen to tell him off!

“He has settled extremely well and is very comfortable in a mixed species reserve; we are really keeping everything crossed that he will sire the next generation of zebra at Longleat.”

Guests can see Zigzag and the mares as part of the drive-through Safari this summer.

Factfile

Zebra - Equus quagga boehmi or Grant’s Zebra

All three females at Longleat were born on the estate -  Kibibi born 2010, Kichaa born 2010 and Poppy born 2015.