Children's Grand Park Zebra 'Sero' Cries After Saying Goodbye to Girlfriend

Coco Passed Away Just Before Surgery on the 16th
Sero Only Searches When the Caretaker Returns

Se-ro, the zebra at Seoul Children’s Grand Park who lost his parents and even escaped alone last March, has now lost his girlfriend, Ko-ko, who passed away. It is said that Se-ro made sounds searching for his beloved girlfriend after her death.

According to Seoul Children’s Grand Park on the 25th, Ko-ko the zebra died early morning on the 16th. It had been four months since she was introduced to Se-ro in June.

Zebra 'Sero' (left) and 'Koko' at Seoul Children's Grand Park. Photo by Seoul Children's Grand Park

The cause of Ko-ko’s death was "intestinal obstruction due to colic." Colic refers to abdominal pain in horses caused by various factors such as overeating or ingestion of sand, leading to gas accumulation in the horse’s stomach. Colic occurs in 4-10% of all horses, and among those affected, 6-28% die. Usually, it can be treated by fasting for about a day and light exercise, but in severe cases, surgery is required, and as in Ko-ko’s case, it can be fatal.

Ko-ko showed signs of colic on the morning of the 11th. Although the caretakers provided light exercise and treatment, her condition rapidly worsened early morning on the 16th, and she was transferred to a specialized equine hospital in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province for surgery. However, she died upon arrival at the hospital.

A representative from Children’s Grand Park said, "Unlike domestic horses, zebras are wild animals and resist human contact, making treatment difficult. Colic typically affects 10% of all horses, and 10% of those require surgery. From the 11th, caretakers stayed up all night caring for Ko-ko, but she ultimately died just before surgery."

It is said that Se-ro cared for Ko-ko devotedly. Since light walking and exercise are crucial for treating colic in horses, the park encouraged exercise by letting Ko-ko and Se-ro roam freely after closing hours. Caretakers reported that Se-ro nudged the fallen Ko-ko with his nose to encourage movement and continuously stayed near her.

Last March, a zebra named 'Sero' that escaped from Seoul Children's Grand Park was wandering around a residential area near Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

A representative from Children’s Grand Park said, "When Ko-ko left for the hospital early morning on the 16th and did not return with the caretakers, Se-ro realized Ko-ko had died and even made sounds in front of the caretakers. Se-ro struggled for a while after Ko-ko’s death but is now much more stable."

Ko-ko, three years younger than Se-ro who was born in 2019, was transferred from Uchi Park in Gwangju Metropolitan City to Children’s Grand Park on June 21 and introduced to Se-ro. Se-ro became a topic of public interest after his parents died consecutively last year and the year before, and he was seen running through residential areas after breaking the wooden deck of his enclosure and escaping on March 23.

A representative from Children’s Grand Park said, "Zebras are highly wild and live in herds. We are considering introducing additional zebras for Se-ro’s companionship."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.