The Mountian Zebra is the rarest of the three zebra species and is distinquished by having narrower and more numerous black stripes on its smooth, whitish coat. Zebras belong to the genus Equus, the same group that includes the horse and the donkey. Although most zebras are plains animals living in large herds or in mixed groups with other peaceful grazing animals, mountian zebras live in small bands headed up by a single male with up to five females. They live on mountian slopes at altitudes of 6,500 feet in eastern, central and southern Africa. Their diet is mostly grass and shrubs.
Zebras depend on speed and stamina to avoid predators such as lions.
Although the plains zebras have managed populations in the face of hunting pressures for their hides, the mountian zebra is rare, almost becoming extinct in the 1930s. Fortunately, the Mountian Zebra National Park was created, and although it is still considered endangered, its situation has improved. Zebras reproduce slowly, a single foal being born to the females once per year. Although they do well in zoos, a number of attempts to domesticate them for use as mounts and draft animals have failed as have cross breeding experiments. Please click on an icon to visit any of these other exhibits.