Grévy's zebra
Equus grevyi
IUCN Red List StatusEndangered
Equus grevyi
We're preparing their new home in Heart of Africa. You’ll be able to visit them again in spring 2025.
Grévy’s zebra are the largest of the three species of zebra. They have distinctive long, narrow heads which differ from plains and mountain zebras. They also have very different social structures to the other two species; stallions establish territories of up to 10km2 which mares will enter to breed.
Zebras are part of the horse family but are no doubt the most striking species in this family! Each individual has a unique stripe pattern, just like a human fingerprint. Grévy's zebras are actually black with white stripes! Scientists have struggled to find out why zebras have stripes, but there are a few theories. Some believe it is to prevent fly bites, or to help cool them down. The most common theory is that the stripes break up their body shapes in a crowd, making it more difficult for predators to single out individuals.
Grévy’s zebra are one of Africa’s most endangered animals. There are less than 2,000 individuals left in the wild. They’re threatened by habitat loss and are hunted for the striking skins.
The zebras at Chester Zoo are part of the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme. These programmes are crucial to ensure the survival of the species. We’re working right now in Kenya to conduct essential surveys of the Grévy’s zebra population which will be vital to saving the species from extinction.
