Did you know that Grevy’s zebras are used by herders to predict rainfall, detect predators and find water and grazing during droughts?
This is the role that these incredibly beautiful creatures have played particularly in areas they call home.
The animal got its name after one was sent as a gift to the President of France Jules Grevy by Abyssinian Emperor Menelik II in 1882.
In the past, Grevy’s zebras were hunted down for their beautiful skins which were sold to be used as rugs.
Although much of the hunting stopped in the late 1970s, the species has never recovered.
Grevy’s zebra is one of Africa’s most endangered large mammals and is currently categorised as such by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
It is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) Appendix I.
When a species is listed in Appendix I, it means that it is threatened with extinction and trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
The species has undergone one of the most substantial reductions in range of any land mammal, declining from an estimated 15,000 individuals in the 1970s to 3,042 in 2018, an 80 per cent drop in just four decades.
The species is faced with a number of escalating threats.
Rampant and unregulated hunting in the late 1970s is to blame.
More recently, other threats and challenges have continued to push the already small population downward.
The key current threats to the species include habitat degradation, competition for resources with livestock, reduction of water sources and restricted access to water, habitat conversion and loss (including large-scale infrastructure development), human conflict, insecurity and migration, small population sizes, hunting, diseases and predation.
The key limitation to Grevy’s zebras' recovery in northern Kenya is the lack of water and healthy rangelands that provide the quality of habitat that the species needs.
Conservationists have been working closely with the local communities to improve grazing management, provide access to water during dry seasons and protect the species from poaching.
Citizen scientists have also been monitoring them to track the health of the population.
Grevy’s Zebra is the largest and most endangered living equid (mammals of the horse family).
In dry river beds, the animal can dig up to one meter deep to access water and provide for other species.
Grevy’s Zebra Trust director of research and impact Dr David Kimiti says the animals are good indicator species.
“If you see a Grevy’s zebra in your landscape, it tends to mean that your landscape is relatively productive in the sense that Grevy’s do not prefer massive flashes of grasses. They actually prefer coming through where other animals have grazed.”
Kimiti said the presence of Grevy’s zebras also means that other species are present.
It is for these reasons that efforts are being stepped up to protect the endangered animal.
On January 27 and 28, the Great Grevy’s Zebra Rally was held in areas where the animal is found.
The rally was held in Laikipia, Samburu, Meru, Isiolo, and Marsabit counties, which together host more than 90 per cent of the global population of Grevy’s zebras.
There are however other pockets of the population in Tsavo, Naivasha and Garissa but they were not surveyed.
Scientists say counting helps in decision-making as you cannot protect what you do not know.
Why is it that the animal is counted by the use of its skin patterns?
Counting Grevy’s zebra has always proved challenging.
Traditional aerial counts are ineffective as detection can be problematic when animals shade under trees in the heat of the day and differentiation with plain zebras in areas where their range overlaps can be difficult.
The most reliable way to count Grevy’s zebra is through photographic recording using the unique stripe patterns on each animal like fingerprints for identification, with statistical formulas helping to derive more accurate population estimates.
Unlike the plain ones, Grevy’s zebras have fine stripes and are taller, with large ears that appear rounded.
They have a white belly and brown nose and are found in arid and semi-arid grass-shrub land. Their range is Kenya and Ethiopia.
Mature breeding males establish and defend territories containing water and grazing resources needed by the females.
Other males stay together in bachelor herds.
Females associate depending on their breeding status.
The Grevy’s zebra gestation period is 13 months and mothers with young foals stay together close to water whereas females without foals venture further out to find good grazing and can go for up to five days without water.
Plain zebras on the other hand have thick stripes that meet under the belly with a black muzzle and are shorter.
Their habitat is cooler, wetter grassland and savannah woodland.
During the rally, those who took part had to adhere to a code of conduct.
This includes the prohibition of littering and night game drives unless strictly approved by ranger or guide.
Viewing and taking of photos must be done at respectable distances that avoid stressing or hindering the natural behaviour of wildlife.
Participants must follow directions of their guide or ranger.
For those camping, firewood should be collected in small quantities.
Standing trees should not be cut. Camp fires must be set allowing a minimum of five meters at all times.
Scientists also assessed the health and wealth of other wildlife species as well as the ecosystem during the rally.
Kimiti said the preliminary sighting results and distribution maps should be out by end of February.
“Full results will take longer depending on our ability to successfully fundraise for analysis and technology transfer to Kenya,” he said.
