Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

The photogenic plains zebra is one of Africa’s most familiar and popular large game animals and they occur in good numbers in protected areas almost all over South Africa.

Plains Zebra on the move

Plains zebra

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra stallion, sporting battle scars

Plains Zebra

They occur in small and relatively stable family groups of up to 30 animals, consisting of a dominant stallion, up to nine mares and their foals of various ages. Young stallions are kicked out of their maternal groups at about the age of three years, and then band together in bachelor groups. Larger groups, that sometimes number into the thousands, are aggregations of these family and bachelor groups. Adults are normally very protective of the foals, though stallions will often kill foals when they take over a family group from another stallion.

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra on the run

Plains Zebra

Plains zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebras drinking at Zincakeni Dam

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Herd of Plains Zebra on the move

Plains Zebras

Zebra foal

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains zebra inhabits open grasslands and bushveld and avoid densely vegetated areas. They are extremely dependant on water and need to drink daily, and subsists almost exclusively on a diet of grass.

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras in Mapungubwe National Park

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra close-up

Plains Zebras fighting

Plains Zebras in Mapungubwe National Park (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra mare and newborn foal

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra (Photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebras drinking at a waterhole in Mapungubwe National Park

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra mare and foal (with a photo-bombing cattle egret)

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra searching for fresh green shoots

Plains Zebras

Foals are born at any time of the year, though births peak around the start of the rainy season. The foals can stand and walk within twenty minutes of birth and are suckled until about 13 months of age. Adults weigh between 220 and 340kg (stallions being only slightly heavier than adult mares) and stand up to 1.4m high at the shoulder.

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Zebra foal

Many of Mokala’s Plains Zebras have fewer stripes that animals in most other populations

Plains Zebras

Zebras in the rain…

Plains Zebra

Many of Mokala’s Plains Zebras have fewer stripes that animals in most other populations

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra

Many of Mokala’s Plains Zebras have fewer stripes that animals in most other populations

Plains Zebra foal

Many of Mokala’s Plains Zebras have fewer stripes that animals in most other populations

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Many of Mokala’s Plains Zebras have fewer stripes that animals in most other populations

Plains Zebra

Plains zebra

Many of Mokala’s Plains Zebras have fewer stripes that animals in most other populations

Zebra foals mutual grooming

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra mare and foal

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra mare and foal

Plains Zebra family

Plains Zebra foal drinking

Plains Zebra

Many of Mokala’s Plains Zebras have fewer stripes that animals in most other populations

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Zebras are a favourite prey of lions and spotted hyenas, and foals also often fall prey to leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs. As a result, their life expectancy in the wild is usually below 20 years.

Plains zebra

Plains Zebras

Two very dusty zebras (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebras

Huge congregation of zebra at Mooiplaas

Plains Zebras (photo by Joubert)

Another energetic zebra

Plains Zebra playing in the mud

Plains Zebra mare and foal

Plains zebras drinking from Grootvlei Dam

Plains Zebra close-up

Zebras and marulas outside Satara

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra altercation

Plains zebra

Plains Zebra

Thirsty Zebra foal

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra female and foal

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra and White Rhino sharing a waterhole

Plains Zebra

Loving Zebras

Plains Zebra drinking

Plains Zebra portrait

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra (photo by Joubert)

Thirsty baby zebra

A dazzle of zebra on the plains south of Pafuri

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebras (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra foal

Plains Zebra on a hillside

Plains Zebra with muddy socks

Plains zebra mare and foal

Plains Zebra

Plains zebra

Plains Zebras gathering at a waterhole in the Shingwedzi River

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra foals

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra trying to trip an opponent

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Huge herds of plains zebra congregating along the Mnondozi stream

Plains Zebra

Plains zebra

Plains Zebra (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra foal

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra (photo by Joubert)

Heavily pregnant Plains Zebra mare

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra foal getting a tail in the face

Plains Zebras on the aptly named Kwaggasvlakte (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra Trio (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra mare and foal

Plains Zebra

Zebra huddle (photo by Joubert)

Plains zebra

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra close-up (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra foal

Plains zebra and foal

Plains Zebra stallion

Zebras at sunrise

Zebra altercation

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras on the run

Plains Zebra stallion

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra stallion close-up (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra smile

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra mare and foal (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra

Playful Plains Zebra stallion

Plains Zebra with unique pattern

Plains Zebra stallion (photo by Joubert)

One of the most inspiring conservation projects in South Africa is the breeding of zebras that resemble the extinct quagga (Equus quagga quagga), the southernmost subspecies of the plains zebra that was hunted to extinction in the late 1870’s, with the last specimen of this uniquely South African species of horse, a mare, dying in distant Amsterdam Zoo in 1883. Over a century later however it was realised, through DNA analysis, that the quagga was a localised race of the still extant plains zebra, and the Quagga Project came into being to try and bring them back through selective breeding. With each subsequent generation showing more and more quagga-like characteristics, one day we may again see true-to-form quaggas roaming their native country in vast numbers.