Pictures: Shropshire zebra birth highlights debate on circus ban

Zulu's name is about as close to his homeland in Africa that he is likely to get because the zebra, which is just finding his feet, is in the future, to be a part of Shropshire-based Peter Jolly's Circus which is performing in Oswestry until tomorrow.

He can be found quietly grazing in a Shropshire field close to the A483 trunk road surrounded by an electric fence, with his mother Watusi keeping a close and protective watchful eye on him and his father, Zumba, in a pen next door.

Peter Jolly himself said Zulu is about 20 generations away from his ancestors who were wild and stresses that zebras have been in captivity for hundreds of years.

"As equines, they are pretty much the same as horses – apart from the stripes," he said.

"And they can be a little more temperamental than horses, like mules or donkeys."

Mr Jolly stressed that he has always loved animals and set up the circus 45 years ago so he could work with them. The circus has three zebras, five reindeer, a camel, llamas, a parrot and miniature Zebu Indian cattle plus other animals.

"We have kept zebras for nearly 30 years," he said, "and it will be another six months before little Zulu is part of the performance and his mother is currently resting on maternity leave.

"We are fully licensed to perform with zebras by the Secretary of State and we have checks seven times a year from veterinary inspectors - which is more far than most places do.

"I could understand people protesting if we weren't under licence but we have been for the past four years and we give care to the animals 24 hours a day.

"It just wouldn't be fair expecting Zulu to go back to Africa. He has been born in Britain and has never been to Africa. Over the past 200 years or so, since London Zoo started, circus animals haven't been brought from other countries, they have been born here."

Last year, more than 7,500 people signed a petition urging the Welsh Government to ban the use of wild animals in circuses and Hollywood star and musician Rhys Ifans said this "form of entertainment belongs in the past".

And Bafta Award–winning actor Michael Sheen penned a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to do the right thing for animals by fulfilling the promise he made to introduce a ban.