Grant's Zebra

Zebras eat tall, coarse grasses, but will also eat leaves and twigs. They depend on water and do not leave water holes for long. During the dry season, zebras travel long distances to find water.

At the Zoo, zebra eat timothy hay, a specially formulated herbivore pellet, and the grasses available in the Heart of Africa savanna.

This subspecies is found in eastern and southern Africa, including parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Zebras live in grasslands, savannas, and open woodlands. They generally avoid rainforest, deserts, and permanent wetlands.

Lions, hyenas, African wild dogs, cheetahs, leopards, and crocodiles are some predators that hunt zebras. When zebras feel threatened, they use loud alarm calls to alert the rest of the herd. Female zebras, called mares, take care of their young foals, while the dominant male, known as a stallion, protects the group of females with strong kicks and bites. At night, at least one herd member stays awake to watch for danger.

Plains zebras and their subspecies face threats from hunting for their meat and skins, especially when they wander outside protected areas. Man-made structures and fences can block their migratory paths, making it hard for them to find water during the dry season.

The Grant's zebra is a strong animal that looks similar to a horse. It has wide, vertical black or dark brown stripes on its white or off-white fur. The skin underneath is gray. The stripes wrap around the zebra's belly and turn into horizontal stripes on its legs, becoming less noticeable on its backside. Unlike a horse, which has a flowing mane, zebras have a mane that stands upright. Their ears are large and look a bit like a donkey's ears, with thick fur inside. Zebras have keen senses of smell, hearing and vision. 

These animals have powerful legs that help them run really fast, up to 55 miles per hour. They can also kick hard, which can hurt predators that try to attack them. Their tough hooves are built to support their weight and help them run easily over rocky ground.

Grant’s zebras live in in groups called herds or harems, usually made up of females with one adult male, known as a stallion, who breeds with them. Zebras can breed at any time throughout the year. After about 12 months of pregnancy, a female zebra gives birth to a single baby zebra, called a foal, which typically weighs between 66 to 77 pounds.

The foal can stand soon after birth and can run within 30 minutes. The mother zebra keeps her foal separate from the rest of the herd for a little while. This allows the foal to learn its mother's scent and calls. The mothers take care of their young, while the male stallion protects the group. Foals nurse from their mothers for at least six months, but they can start eating grass when they are just a couple of weeks old. During their first year, foals stay close to their mothers. They learn important things, like how to watch out for predators, which grasses are good to eat, and the migration paths that zebras follow during the wet and dry seasons. Young male zebras might also spend time with their fathers, learning how to behave as males in a harem.

By the time they reach one to three years old, zebras become more independent. They mature fully by four years old. Adolescent males usually form bachelor herds, where they live with other young males until they are ready to breed. When they reach around five to six years old, they start trying to attract females to create their own harem. If another stallion challenges them, they defend their position with bites, kicks, and headbutts.

Zebras communicate in various ways, using facial expressions and sounds. They can make loud noises like braying and barking, as well as softer sounds such as snorts and airy “whuffs.” The way their ears are positioned, how wide their eyes are, and whether their mouths are open or showing teeth all convey different messages. For instance, when zebras flatten their ears back, it usually means they are feeling aggressive.

Zebras strengthen their bonds by grooming each other. You might see two zebras standing close together, appearing to bite one another, but they are actually just nibbling to pull out loose hair and give each other a good scratch.

Zebras are diurnal, meaning they are active during daylight hours. They spend more than 50% of their day grazing. Zebras roll on the ground to cover themselves with dust and mud, which protects their skin from the sun and insects.