Grevy's Zebra

Grevy's zebra, Equus grevyi, is the largest wild member of the horse family, with adults weighing about 349 to 451 kilograms. It has narrow black and white stripes, a white belly, large rounded ears and a thick erect mane. It lives in semi-arid grasslands and acacia savannas of northern Kenya and a few small areas of southern Ethiopia, and it once ranged into Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti as well. Males defend territories of roughly 2 to 12 square kilometres around water and grazing, while mares and young form loose groups that change from day to day. Grevy's zebras graze on tough grasses and forbs and are active by day. The wild population fell from about 15,000 in the 1970s to just over 2,500 by 2009, and the species is listed as endangered. Conservation plans in Kenya and Ethiopia, along with ecotourism interest, support its protection.