Endangered Ark

Grevy’s Zebra

Equus grevyi

6 of Spades

Art by Heather Bruton

http://www.heatherbruton.com

heatherbruton@gmail.com

Ontario, Canada

The Grevy’s, or Imperial zebra, is the largest of the zebra family and is most identifiable by its thin, densely striped coat. It is named after Jules Grevy, a president of France who was given one as a gift in the 1880s. Found in the wilds of Eastern Africa, the Grevy’s zebra is well adapted to its dry scrubland home.

Unlike other zebra species, it does not form large herds. Males hold territories (tolerating non-resident males) and mate with females that wander through their territories. While Grevy’s share origins with other zebra species, they are in a separate genus all their own and are more akin to wild asses in many ways. The Grevy is widely believed to be the famed “hippotigris” (horse-tiger) of the Roman circus but was largely unknown outside of Africa until the 1700s.

Grevy’s are endangered due to hunting for their skins, habitat loss, and competition with domestic grazing animals. There was a great demand for zebra skins for fashion products a number of years ago, causing a sharp decline in numbers. While Kenya has since banned all hunting of Grevy’s and banned the export of their skins, the population has been slow to recover. While the Grevy is common in captivity the numbers in the wild are estimated to be no more than 1,500 to 2,000