Zebra died of heart, thyroid disease: zoo

A zebra's death at a Calgary Zoo facility shortly before Christmas was due to age-related heart and thyroid disease.

The zoo announced the pathology results on Wednesday.

The 13-year-old Grevy's zebra, a male named Igali, was found unconscious on the floor of a heated barn at the zoo's Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre on the morning of Dec. 22.

The animal regained consciousness after receiving treatment, but was unable to stand and died that afternoon.

The zoo said that during the zebra's last physical examination in January 2010, neither medical condition was evident.

At 13, the zebra was older than 82 per cent of the male Grevy's zebras recorded in the records of the International Species Information System.

The zoo said ISIS's records on 1,500 Grevy's zebrasindicate that 66 per cent of them die by age eight, and 80 per cent die by age 12.

The endangered Grevy's zebra is native to eastern Africa.

Igali was born in Florida and had lived mainly at the conservation centre south of the city for the past six years, the zoo previously said.

The zebra had access to his outdoor and indoor enclosures during the time he lived at the ranch, the zoo said.