Did you know there were different kinds of Zebra..?

We don’t mean black with white stripes, or white with black stripes – we mean the Burchell’s zebra, the Grevy zebra, and the Mountain Zebra. Let’s dive into the Mountain Zebra because these phenomenal climbers are rare and incredible.

Firstly, you know it’s a mountain zebra because they have white bellies as opposed to Burchells Zebra whose stomachs are striped. The mountain zebra also has clearly striped legs all the way down whereas the Burchells have stripes that fade out towards the bottom. A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. Only Mountain Zebras have these while Burchells do not. Mountain Zebra are also bigger and a bit stripier. The striped color pattern of this animal is likely to reflect over 70% of incoming heat. Thus, helping them escape overheating under the scorching sun of Africa. An absolutely astounding adaption to harsh terrain. Their stripes also confuse pests.

Where do Mountain Zebra Live?

Mountain zebras are found on mountain slopes, open grasslands, woodlands, and areas with sufficient vegetation. However, their preferred habitat is mountainous terrain, especially escarpments with a diversity of grass species. Favouring slopes and high plateaus. They form small family groups consisting of a single stallion and one to five mares, together with their recent offspring. Bachelors also form groups and pair off with a mare if he can tempt her into a “relationship”.

How rare are they?

In the 1930’s, the Cape Mountain Zebra, which is a subspecies of Mountain Zebras faced extinction. Their population was reduced to about 100 individuals. However, consistent and vigorous conservation measures have succeeded in reversing the decline, and in 1998, the population of this sub-species was estimated to have increased to some 1200. It has since increased to about 1500 in the wild. Overall, Plains Zebras (Burchells) number around 750,000.

There are only an estimated 1,500 Cape Mountain Zebras, 13,000 Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras, and 2,500 Grevy’s zebras remaining today.

As you can see, they are rare. Hunting Zebra can be a challenge as it is hard to differentiate between mare and stallion. but with an experienced outfitter with you, you’ll have no trouble.

Would you like to hunt a Mountain Zebra? Let us tailor-make a hunting trip for you.