This zebra is named for Jules Grevy, a French president who, in the 1880's, received one from the king of Ethiopia as a gift. 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 at 40 mph.
Grevy’s zebras have long narrow heads with large round ears giving them a mule-like appearance. Their ears can be rotated to determine the location of sound. Grevy’s zebra have good eyesight with binocular vision in the front and can probably see in color. Their sense of taste is also keen and they can detect slight changes in the quality of their food. They spend about 60% of the day grazing, and up to 80% 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 towards other animals, they 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 zebra was one of Fossil Rim’s first Species Survival Plan animals |
