The scene with the zebra in the zoo can be interpreted as a symbolizing the last moment of Pi's innocence before he too is made brutal by suffering

The end of Part 1 contains more clues for what will happen in Part 2. Pi helps his Muslim mentor and his favorite teacher - both named Mr. Kumar - feed a zebra together, who they view as a beautiful and noble creature. Here, in the zoo, that may be true, but in the next section, after the sinking, the zebra will suffer agonizing pain - and in the ugliest manner. The scene with the zebra in the zoo can thus be interpreted as symbolizing the last moment of Pi’s innocence, before he too is made ugly by suffering.