Grevy’s Zebra
QUICK FACTS
Scientific Name
Equus grevyi
Species Survival Plan
Yes
Habitat
Semi-arid and scrub grasslands
Predators
Lion, leopard
Food
Grasses, fruit, shrubs and bark
Originally Native To
Somalia, Ethiopia and Northern Kenya
Height
60 inches at shoulder
Weight
Male 1,000 lb.
Female 900 lb.
Characteristics
Very narrow, close stripes - even on mane. Stripes extend down legs, but not around stomach
Gestation Period
13 months
Offspring
1 foal
Birth Season
Any month
Lifespan
20 years
Social Behavior
No permanent bonds between adults; only strong bond is mare and foal; do not form permanent herds

About Grevy’s Zebra
This zebra is named for Jules Grevy, a French president who received one from the king of Ethiopia as a gift in the 1880s. It is the largest and most solitary of the wild equids. It is set apart from horses and asses, its two closest relatives, by its stripes and untamable wild nature.
Grevy’s zebras are often seen on the open plains with other grazing animals, such as wildebeest, ostrich and antelopes. They can sprint 40 mph.
Grevy’s zebras have long, narrow heads with large, round ears to give them a mule-like appearance. Their ears can be rotated to determine the location of sound. Grevy’s zebras have good eyesight with binocular vision in the front and can probably see in color.
Their sense of taste is also keen and can detect slight changes in the quality of their food. They spend about 60 percent of the day grazing and up to 80 percent when food becomes scarce.
The zebra stallions live alone within large territories of up to four square miles, in which they claim exclusive mating rights. They mark their territories with dung. Two males will compete for an area by having pushing contests, rearing and biting.
They form temporary relations with females in estrus that happen to wander through their territory. Once the foals are born, the mares stay within about a mile of water and are almost always with the territorial stallion. The females have a dominance hierarchy as well, but engage in mutual grooming to establish relationships with each other.
Within an hour of birth, a foal can run with the rest of the herd and can recognize its mother with sight and smell. Each zebra has a unique stripe pattern.
Although they tend to be very aggressive toward other animals, Grevy’s zebras are beneficial to other wild grazers because they clear off the tops of coarse grasses that are difficult for other herbivores to digest.
Major threats to wild Grevy’s zebra are introduced livestock that compete for grazing land and hunting for zebra skins. There are thought to be fewer than 6,000 left in the wild. The Grevy’s zebra was one of Fossil Rim’s first Species Survival Plan (SSP) animals.
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