Grevy’s zebras (Equus grevyi) are the largest of all zebras. They can live for around 25 years in the wild. They are herbivorous mammals that look almost exactly like other zebras but have larger ears and a head that is slightly mule-like. Zebras are different from horses or mules (their relatives) not only because of their color, they have black and white stripes, but also because of their untamable nature. Zebra’s long legs and hooves allow them to out-run predators, reaching up to 40 miles per hour. They also have good eyesight, their eyes are set farther back onto their heads which gives them a greater field of vision. They also have specially adapted teeth which allow them to eat thick grass, males have four canines that they use for fighting that females don’t have. Being the largest of all zebras, Grevy’s zebras can be around 5 feet tall and 7 feet long, they can weigh between 750 -950 pounds.

Fun Fact: Grevy’s zebras have around 80 stripes.

Grevy’s zebras eat mostly grasses and sometimes fruit. These foods don’t have a lot of nutrients so Grevy’s zebras spend about 60% of their days eating.

Most zebras form herds but Grevy’s zebras don’t and they don’t form bonds either. Mothers and their children sometimes combine with other mothers and their children which form small herds. Males sometimes travel in small groups but neither type of herd has any hierarchy. Most male Grevy’s zebras live alone and have large territories, those that don’t have territories are the ones that form herds. Male herds generally go into the territory of lone males and usually no conflict occurs, however if there is a female in the same area the lone male will chase off the others to try and mate with her. Males will compete for a territory by pushing each other. Click here for a good video of what zebra fighting looks like (starts at about 2 minutes). Females do have dominance hierarchies as well but these are developed through grooming.

Females give birth to one foal and it takes over a year. The mother will give birth on her own and keep other Grevy’s zebras away for about two days before it goes back with its child and joins the nursery herd. Foals find their mothers and orient based on the pattern of their mother’s rear and tail.

Grevy’s zebras are native to Ethiopia and Kenya. They prefer grasslands with hot and dry climates. Today, only around 100 Grevy’s zebras live in Ethiopia and around 2,400 in Kenya, making them endangered animals. Fossils that have been found show that two-million years ago, the ancestor of the Grevy’s Zebra lived in all of Africa and parts of Europe and Asia and one from the Neolithic period shows that they used occupy all of Africa up through Egypt. Grevy’s zebras have experienced one of the greatest reductions in habitable territory of all African mammals. They were hunted for their meat and skins which were sold to make clothing. The hunting of zebras was banned in Kenya in 1977 and the trading of wildlife products in 1978. Zebras are also protected in Ethiopia. Domestic live-stock are taking up the resources that Grevy’s zebras need and tourism has also limited their access to water and breeding sites. The African Wildlife Foundation is working with the Kenya Wildlife Service to track the movement patterns of Grevy’s zebras in order to be able to better protect them. They also equip locals and wildlife scouts with equipment that can be used to monitor the Grevy’s zebras. If you’d like to learn more about their protection program in Samburu, click here. These animals are important to conserve not only because they are the product of thousands of years of evolution, showing how mammals have travelled from Africa to Europe and Asia and evolved to better suit those habits but also because they help their environment. In the grasslands, Grevy’s zebras graze off the tops of the grasses which are coarse and can’t be digested by other herbivores, the Grevy’s zebras give access to food for those animals. If you would like to help the cause you can donate to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute or to the African Wildlife Foundation.

“Grevy’s zebra.” Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/grevys-zebra.

“Grevy’s Zebra.” African Wildlife Foundation, www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/grevys-zebra.

Grevy’s Zebra. African Wildlife Foundation, www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/grevys-zebra.