Grant’s zebra

Animal

Grant’s zebra

Animal

Grant’s zebra

As unique as a human fingerprint, the black and white pattern that covers the body, head and limbs of the Grant’s zebra makes it one of the most recognisable wild animals in the world. The species is a member of the horse family and has excellent hearing and eyesight. It can reach heights of over 140 cm, generally weighs about 300 kg and can run at speeds of 56 kmph.

Latin Name

Equus quagga boehmi

Biome

Temperate grasslands and deserts

Class

Mammal

Order

Herbivores

Conservation Status

Near threatened

Grant’s zebra

Habitat

A social and nomadic animal, the Grant’s zebra grazes on the grasslands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Wild Notes

Zebras live in groups called harems, which typically consist of up to 18 individuals, with a dominant male (stallion) leading the group. The stallion’s role includes protecting mares and foals from predators, and he can defend the group using powerful kicks, bites, and scratches. This kick is particularly potent and can inflict serious harm to predators such as lions, hyenas, and African wild dogs, who tend to approach cautiously.

Foals are born with brown and white stripes, and they can walk and run with the herd within an hour after birth. Mothers usually keep newborns separated for a short time to allow them to imprint on their distinctive stripes, scent, and vocalisations, which are crucial for identification.

Conservation

The Grant's zebra is the most abundant and widespread of all six of the plains zebra subspecies but has still seen its numbers in the wild dwindle because of ongoing conflicts in and around its native habitats.

Did you Know

Zebras and horses have been crossbred to create a zorse, an animal used for trekking in Mount Kenya. Some scientists believe their black and white stripes may help them withstand the intense solar radiation of their native habitat as well as being a form of camouflage that breaks up the outline of their bodies - making them appear indistinct to predators.

The Fota Connection

The zebras at Fota are from east and central Africa - the same race that occupies the Serengeti ecosystem of Tanzania and Kenya. The main stallion is Barney, who was born at Fota back in 1988, and he has fathered several offspring to date – including the aptly named Zedward. Part of the African savannah, the herd mixes well with the giraffe, ostrich and oryx groups.