Grevy's zebra threatened with extinction

The Grevy's zebra is the largest of the three zebra species — and not only in terms of its appearance is it a somewhat different zebra. White on black – or black on white? To answer that upfront: the answer is white on black. During embryonic development, zebra foals are initially black before the white stripes develop.

Why zebras have stripes at all has not yet been fully explained. There are various theories, ranging from a function as camouflage, making it easier for individuals to recognise one another, confusing predators, and a cooling effect, to a function as insect protection. Only the last of these approaches has so far been supported by experiments. Insects appear to be irritated by the stripe pattern and accordingly have difficulty locating a landing spot on the zebra.

A somewhat different zebra

The Grevy's zebra, named after former French President Jules Grévy, is the largest of the three zebra species. The animal can be distinguished from the other species not only by its size, its slender stripes, and its rounded ears, but also by its social system. While plains and mountain zebras form harems consisting of one male and several females, male Grevy's zebras hold territories that they defend against other males. Females live in loose groups, with mothers and foals staying close to water. Other females can go without water for three to five days and roam through various territories held by males.

Dominant males preferentially occupy territories near water, as both females with foals and females without young pass through these areas. The males defend their territory extremely aggressively and do not hesitate to confront a lion directly.

Grevy's zebra: an endangered species

The Grevy's zebra is highly endangered. Today there are only around 3’000 animals remaining in the wild, with approximately 2’800 of them living in Kenya. While there were still around 15’000 Grevy's zebras in the 1970s, numbers declined rapidly in the years that followed. Initially, it was primarily hobby hunting for their pelts that caused the population decline. Today, agriculture and shrinking habitat represent the greatest threat to the zebras. Since 2009, the population in Kenya has stabilised.

Conservation project for over 20 years

The Zurich Zoo has been actively supporting the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya since 1998, where over ten percent of the world's Grevy's zebra population lives. Thanks in part to the commitment of Zurich Zoo, the population in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is developing very well. This year, 25 Grevy's zebras were able to be relocated to another reserve, where the new arrivals are intended to bring fresh genetic diversity to the existing population.

Through the Grevy's Zebra Trust, a close partner of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, scouts from the local community are also deployed to monitor and survey Grevy's zebra populations. These scouts not only generate valuable data for research, but also help by acting as ambassadors for species conservation and promoting it within their communities.