TWO of Paignton Zoo’s Hartmann's mountain zebras have passed away, it can be confirmed.

The two females, 22-year-old Taru and 11-year-old Leila, were both suffering with deteriorating health conditions.

‘Following careful consideration and consultation among our veterinary and animal care teams, the difficult decision was made to humanely euthanise both animals’ Paignton Zoo said on its Facebook page.

The older zebra, Taru, had been living with cancer, while younger Leila had been managing a rare blood clotting condition.

The zoo said that it had exhausted ‘all reasonable treatment options for both animals’ and that humane euthanasia was ‘the kindest option’.

‘This was an incredibly difficult decision for our team, but one made with the animals' welfare as our absolute priority’ the zoo said.

Taru was born and bred at Paignton Zoo, having become a ‘beloved fixture’ of the South Devon zoo since 2002, with Leila, who was born at Safari Park Dvůr Králové in the Czech Republic, joining Taru in 2019.

‘Both zebras were much-loved by visitors due to their distinctive personalities and striking appearance and their loss will be felt deeply by our zoo community’ Paignton Zoo said.

‘We thank all of you for your understanding and support during this difficult time.

‘The animal care team who worked closely with Taru and Leila are particularly affected by this loss, and we appreciate your kind thoughts for them as well’ Paignton Zoo added.