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Zebra's excellent sense of hearing and elevated eye placement allow them to sense predators from a considerable distance.
photo: Tom Gillespie
Characteristics: The distinct black and white stripes of zebras are much like human fingerprints, with no two being exactly alike.
Their excellent sense of hearing and elevated eye placement allow them to sense predators from a considerable distance. Zebras live together in small family herds and are rarely found far from a freshwater source.
Diet: Zebras are herbivores that feed mainly on coarse grasses and roots less desirable to other grassland species.
Reproduction: Females called mares give birth to one foal after a twelve-month gestation period. The newborn weighs about 70 lbs and stands 3 feet tall. Within an hour of birth, the small foal can run fast enough to keep up with the herd. This is important because of the presence of predators looking for easy prey.
Environmental Connections: Zebras inhabit grasslands across Africa. African grasslands are called “steppes” or “savannas." Grasslands are characterized by a dry climate with periods of drought.
Zebras need space - a commodity that is fast becoming scarce due to human population growth and widespread changes in land use. To insure their continued survival, zebras need suitable, stable and large areas of habitat for their feeding ranges.
Human population in Africa has quadrupled since the turn of the century - the fastest growth rate on the planet. Many zebra populations are threatened because they compete with humans for land and resources.
Humans have converted open savanna and wooded grassland habitat to cropland and pastureland for livestock. Wood is used for housing and fuel.
Protecting zebras means preserving the habitats in which they live. No ecosystem stands alone so it is important that we work to protect ecosystems on a global level.
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N.C. Zoo is a member institution of AZA and an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr. Secretary; Michael F. Easley, Governor. A part of the North Carolina Government portal.
The Zoo is closed Christmas day and during severe weather. Call our information line at: 1-800-488-0444.
