They form temporary relations with females in estrus that happen to wander through their territories. Typically, daughters remain with their mothers creating close kin groups. Young females emigrate when they become sexually mature at about 2 years of age. Males disperse by the fourth year to form bachelor groups, until they can defend their own territories. Offspring are born during renewed vegetation growth.
Newborns are up and about within an hour of birth.
Within a few weeks they begin grazing but generally are weaned for 8 to 13 months. All wild horses are in precarious states due to loss of habitat, through agriculture and domestic animal overgrazing. Although Plains zebras are plentiful in their natural habitat, Grevy's zebra populations are endangered because of agricultural and livestock expansion, as well as being hunted for their beautiful coats. An estimate of less than 3,000 remain in the wild.