If you are a keeper in Area 5 of the Zoo (Africa) you are very fortunate to care for El Paso’s only herd of zebras.   Our original herd of six zebras arrived in El Paso just in time for the grand opening of our Africa exhibit in May and June of 2010.   Then we had a very pleasant surprise, one of the six mares was pregnant and on June 29 a foal was born to Dulce and we named her Stormy.

Like other members of the horse family (Equidae) many of us love zebras.   Every zebra has a unique pattern of stripes and much like our finger prints, no two zebras are the same.  Wildlife biologists believe that the combined stripes of a herd of zebras help to protect them from predators.  When they are running away from an attacking lion the movement of so many stripes makes it more difficult for the lion to focus on any one animal.  

Zebras are found in eastern and southern Africa where they are native to fifteen African countries. Their habitats include woodlands, grasslands, thorny scrublands, and savannas. Zebras are integral to several food chains because of their role in converting plant matter into biomass for large predators.

There are three kinds of zebras living only on the African continent, the Grevy’s zebra, mountain zebra and the plains zebra.  The most common species is the plains zebra.  Our zebras are called Grant’s zebras, a subspecies of the plains zebra.  They are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as near threatened.   The mountain zebra is listed as vulnerable and the Grévy’s zebra as endangered.

Grant’s zebras live in family groups led by a single male (stallion), but when moving across the savanna to new feeding areas, a dominant female (mare) leads the way. 

Zebras are able to survive eating tougher grasses that many other species of animals are unable to digest.  As they feed on these grasses, the zebra opens up the grassland benefiting other animals like gazelles that are looking for more tender vegetation growing closer to the ground.

Zebras like horses are social animals. They sleep in turns so that some herd members are always awake. Grant’s zebras will gather together so that the predator can only see a maze of stripes. They form family groups, known as harems, which join together to form loosely associated massive herds that are meant to be intimidating. The family unit will remain close within these herds. Zebras with young avoid predators by forming clusters around the mother and the young instead of bolting.

The lead male stallion stays towards the rear of the family on the watch for predators. Zebras have several ways they communicate with one another through barks, brays or facial expressions, such as wide-open eyes and exposed teeth. Zebra predators include lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas. When danger approaches, the stallion will alert the others with a high-pitched snort. It is not uncommon for zebras to be part of mixed herds with other mammals, such as giraffes or wildebeests to thwart predators.