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It is with heavy hearts that the Milwaukee County Zoo announces that zebra foal, Mistari, was humanely euthanized on Monday, June 15, after she sustained a severe leg injury when shifting to the outdoor zebra yard during her normal morning routine.
Mistari was born on April 22 to mom Thelma, who arrived at MCZ in April 2025 from Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a surprise to zookeepers that Thelma was pregnant. Since being allowed access to the outdoor habitat, Mistari has quickly become a guest favorite to visit. 
Mistari suffered a severe open fracture to her right rear leg. Zookeepers immediately called the veterinary team to assess the injury and begin treatment. Mistari was put under anesthesia, and the veterinary staff gave her pain medications, took X-rays, and began to clean and flush the wound. They found that the bone had been fractured into many pieces and that the blood supply to the lower leg had been disrupted.
The veterinary team consulted with large animal veterinarians and veterinary surgeons, but it was concluded that Mistari’s injury was not fixable with surgery due to its complexity and severity. The animal care team and veterinary team decided together that the humane decision for Mistari was to proceed with euthanasia.
Following the procedure, Thelma was given time to be in the stall with Mistari. She sniffed her, walked in and out of the stall, and did a small amount of vocalizing before ultimately leaving the stall. The animal care team will keep a close watch on Thelma, and all the Zoo staff across departments will support each other through this difficult time.
A necropsy will be performed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.