International Zebra Day and Protecting the Grevy's Zebra
| The 31st January is International Zebra Day, which means a great opportunity to raise awareness about the charities involved in zebra conservation. There are different species of zebra. They are the Grevy Zebra, the Plains Zebra and the Mountain Zebra, and subspecies such as the Cape Mountain Zebra and the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra.
They help maintain grasslands, and by eating dry grasses, they reduce the intensity of wildfires. And their poo helps - it disperses nutrients, which enables plants to thrive - and that helps other species. Not only that, but they disperse seeds from the plants they eat which go through their systems and come out in poo! Zebras will dig into riverbeds which have gone dry to get to water - and that means they and other wildlife can drink water! They create pathways for other animals which makes it easier for them to get to food and water. As ecosystem engineers, they keep habitats heatlhy so that wildlife can survive and thrive. Climate change is making things worse for zebras, especially with severe droughts. They are also threatened by habitat loss thanks to infrastructure development and poaching. How can you get involved in International Zebra Day?
Grevy’s Zebra – there are about 3,000 of these left in the wild The Trust was founded to address the urgent need to conserve Grevy’s Zebra in Kenya and Ethiopia. Recognising that zebras and people must co-exist and that communities are vital in designing and driving conservation efforts, it works with communities who help to monitor zebra through citizen science. The Trust has Scouts, Ambassadors and Warriors who patrol the bush areas where they live, and GPS collars also play an important role in monitoring the zebra populations! The Trust uses the data it receives about zebras to decide on the best solutions for positive conservation results so that the zebra can survive and thrive long term. So the data drives conservation action, tackling issues and threats to zebras, such as dry season water management, mud rescues, poaching and extra feeding. You can donate to the Grevy's Zebra Trust here. You’ll see that donations to the Trust are made through the Wildlife Conservation Network – 100% of your donation goes directly to the field to support the conservation of Grevy’s zebra. The Trust works with many partners internationally – many of them zoos – you can find a list of them here.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo supports the Grevy Zebra Trust and they were instrumental in helping create a national conservation strategy for the species in Kenya. They are also a founding member of the Grevy's Zebra Technical Committee which guides and implements conservation in action. They undertake surveys and monitoring of the zebras to gain understanding of the species' changes in populations and also their distribution. Marwell manages the International Studbook and the European Ex situ Programme (EEP) for Grevy’s zebra, and it's got a dedicated Kenyan team who work to conserve Grevy Zebra. And here's their newest Grevy Zebra arrival back in August 2024 at Marwell Zoo!
The Wildlife Conservation Foundation also support the Grevy Trust, as you may have read above. I love the way they say that the Grevy's Zebra can be distinguished by its round Mickey Mouse ears! They make the zebra look rather charming! Plains Zebra The Mountain Zebra lives in the open grasslands of South Africa, Namibia and South West Angola. There are two subspecies, one being the Cape Mountain Zebra which the Gondwana Conservation Foundation are working to conserve, increasing their numbers, and the other the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra. Marwell manage the International Studbook for Hartmann’s mountain zebra and they are undertaking studies on the impact disease has and working to understand how the reproductive performance of this and other species is affected by social behaviour and structure. Hartmann’s mountain zebras are in the mountainous zone between the Namib Desert and the central plateau in Namibia. They are vulnerable to extinction, although greater in number than the Mountain Zebra. Born Free Foundation Born Free have a "Saving Meru’s Giants" programme in Kenya's Meru National Park. Their dedicated Twiga Team removes deadly snares and prevents illegal poaching activity. You can see the team at work here. The park is home both the plains zebra and the Grevy’s zebra so the work undertaken here helps to protect the populations here from further decline. Find out more here.
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