The Roger Williams Park Zoo is mourning the sudden loss of one of its beloved zebras.

 

Samantha, 24, passed away Thursday after colliding with a fence in her holding pen, according to the zoo.

 

The zoo believes Samantha panicked during the powerful thunderstorms that moved through and ran straight into the fence. A necropsy confirmed she died instantaneously.

 

“This was truly a tragic accident, and our zoo family is heartbroken by this sudden and unexpected loss,” the zoo wrote in a social media post Monday afternoon.

 

Samantha, who first arrived at the zoo back in 2003, was known for her “sweet, yet shy personality.”

 

The zoo’s two other zebras, Tundra and Zipper, are being closely monitored by their animal care team.

 

See more at wpri.com.