Grevy's Zebra

Status: Endangered. Why are they on the list? There are several reasons:

  • Decreased Water Supply: The Grevy’s Zebra, like other animals, travel where food and water are most nutritious and abundant. That said, their range has reuced dramatically due to a large supply of their water source being diverted for irrigation and other human uses. That impacts the already endangered Grevy’s Zebra and other animals that depend on water for survival.
  • Habitat Degradation: The livestock in their range compete for the tender shoots of vegetation and trample the soil which prevents some plants for sprouting faster or growing at all.

Today’s Population size (est.): 750 adults in the wild. Females give birth to a single foal after about 30 months of gestation.

Location: Found only in the Horn of Africa (the eastern tip). Mosy of the population is found in Kenya. A smaller population exists in Ethiopia as well. Found in open savanah areas with mixed vegitation.

Did you know: It is the largest of all wild “horses” (i.e., in the horse or horse family). A newborn zebra will “imprint” on nearly any living thing. That’s why you may see a momma zebra being so mean to others while her baby discovers their real momma.

Check out Planet U’s featured species of the month here.