Zebra+Period+3



How Will We Work Together:

Research:

Zebra3

Endangered Species Research and Source Document

Margaret Millians and Kate Culbertson

Sources: Zebra By: Malcolm Penny African Wildlife Foundation: Saving the Endangered Grevy’s Zebra: www.awf.org Species Survial Plans: www.stlzoo.org Lewa Wildlife Conservancy: http://www.lewa.org/lewa_endangered_species.php Education: Conservation Issues: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/ About Us : http://www.knoxville-zoo.org/

Questions:

1. Where does your animal live, and what are its characteristics?

Locate your animal’s habitat (Where does it live? Does it migrate?) • Plains zebras prefer savannahs, where scattered trees on the plains provide shade during a hot day. • Mountain zebras live in similar habitats in southern Africa, but higher up in the hills, where it is cooler. • In northern Kenya, these habitats collide which makes it possible to see both zebras in this place. • Due to dry periods in Tropical Africa, zebras must travel long distances to find food and water. • Travel in large groups called herds. • The types of zebras include the Plains Zebra, Grant's Zebra, Crawshay's Zebra, Upper Zambezi Zebra, Chapman's Zebra, Damara Zebra, Burchell's zebra, Quagga, Grevy's Zebra, Mountain Zebra, Cape Mountain Zebra • Hartmann's Mountain Zebra • Etosha National Park, Namibia is a perfect country for zebras • Found in South Africa, SW Cape Prov., Paardeburg, near Malmesbury

Identify at least 10 characteristics that will give an in-depth, accurate description of your animal • White and black stripes • Black nose • Lion, Crocodile, and Hyena eat the zebra and the zebra eats grass. • Ears pricked and eyes wide open means the zebras are alert for danger • Close looks to horses • Body Length- 220 cm. / 7.3 ft. • Shoulder height- 120-130 cm. / 4 to 4.3 ft. • Tail length- 50 cm./ 20 in. • Weight- 260-370 kg. / 572-814 lb. • A long, flowing tassel of white and black hair is found along the lower half of the tail

2. Where and why is your animal endangered?

Locate where it is endangered (might not be endangered in all its habitats) • Samburu Heartlands • Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Kenya) • Considered extinct in Somalia, with a small number in Ethiopia(less than 150) and the remainder in Northern Kenya

Identify the factors, environmental and/or anthropogenic (caused by man) that cause it to be endangered • Lions, Cheetahs, and Hyenas are the main natural predators of Grevy’s zebras, but humans are responsible for the drastic decline of this species in recent years • Today, habitat loss and fragmentation are their biggest threats • Grevy’s Zebra’s migrate in areas where human and livestock reside-placing them in direct competition for water and food. • Currently, the species’ only protection is through the 1977 hunting ban. If the ban were lifted, the species could be hunted at a fee because it is still classified as a game animal. • Lewa is a protected area, so hunting for subsistence or commercial use has been completely eliminated. Livestock numbers have been greatly reduced, thereby reducing competition for grazing and water grounds for Grevy's zebras. • In the future, the balanced populations on Lewa and in other protected areas will be vital to ensuring the survival of the Grevy's zebra and will be used as a reservoir for restocking the national parks. • Samburu Heartlands. African Wildlife researchers, led by Dr. Paul Muoria are working to understand the Grevy’s zebras of the Samburu Heartland. Time and again, researchers find that the Grevy’s zebras migrate in areas where humans and livestock reside, placing them in direct competition for water and food. The AWF team is working with the village people to use their discoveries to help with real-life conservation efforts. Jointly, they are exploring alternative land-uses, developing management plans and working to raise the legal status of Grevy’s zebras from “game” to “protected” animal.

o Ethiopia. In Ethiopia there are less than 200 Grevy’s zebras left. This is due to people hunting for their skin and food, competition with domestic grazing animals, habitat destruction, and human disturbance at critical water holes.

Provide statistics and other facts related to its endangerment

• A few decades ago, more than 15,000 Grevy’s Zebra’s inhabited Africa. Now, fewer than 2,500 remain.

3. Where is your animal in captivity and/or conserved?

Locate at least two zoos and/or conservation centers where the animal is held. -St. Louis Zoo St Louis Zoo. Species Survival Plans. SSP coordinators determine which animals should be paired for the benefit of the entire species. The goal of the SSP is to find good breeding conditions and the best mates for those animals that are not well represented in zoos. The SSP will also restrict breeding of animals that already have numerous offspring.

-San Diego Zoo The Society of San Diego recognizes that the worldwide number of wildlife has reached a crisis level that threatens an ever-increasing number of species with extinction because of human activities. This is an environmental catastrophe for which immediate action must be taken. The causes and consequences of this critical situation are complex, and the solutions must be multi-faceted. Therefore, the Zoological Society commits cooperation and resources to local, national, and international efforts to stop the illegal commercial African bushmeat market, and to reduce the legal consumption to sustainable levels.

-Knoxville Zoo The mission of Knoxville Zoo is to celebrate the wonders of the natural world. Through education, conservation, exhibition, research and recreation, the zoo will tell and show the stories of the animals, the plants and the people who make up the communities of the earth. The zoo will develop positive attitudes and actions about nature and about conservation as a local and global issue.

Horn of Africa The St. Louis Zoo has supported lots of research and conservation projects for the Grevy's zebra and its habitat. Some of these projects include: producing the most recent and accurate censusesof wild Grevy's zebra in both Kenya and Ethiopia; investigating the causes for the serious decline of this species within its range; and establishing long-term coonservation and community education programs to promote the protection of this rare zebra in Kenya and Ethiopia.

4. What is being done to restore your animal’s populations? Grevy’s zebras are monitored with the help of local rangers and community scouts (traveling by foot and in vehicles) and aerial surveys.

5. Where is it being done?

Locate where research is done on your animal and where efforts are underway to conserve its population (Note: It may be that this is done at the same location(s) you identified in #3)

• Lewa Wildlife Conservansy -The amount of Grevy’s at Lewa is 20% of the whole population of Grevy’s left in the world. -Lewa’s goal is to use it’s Grevy’s zebras as a source population for re-stocking parts of the species former range, particularly in areas that are under community management and are sensitive to the conservation of wildlife. In order to achieve this goal, Lewa must understand the ecology and population dynamics of Grevy’s zebras.

o

o White Oak Conservation Center (located in Northern Florida) The White Oak Conservation Center has made a big contribution to the Northern Rangelands Endangered Species Program, a community based conservation program in northern Kenya that has adopted the Grevy’s zebra as its flagship species to promote wildlife conservation around the area. Identify the experts, leaders, and/or groups guiding the conservation o AWF o Dr. Paul Muoria

Outline any research and efforts to conserve the population

Photos

White Oak Conservation Center By: Mape S.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy By: angela7dreams Ethiopia By: Wildcat Dunny

Knoxville By: The_Gut

San Diego By: Tony Moorey

St. Louis Zoo By: merfam

Horn of Africa By:angela7dreams

Videos [|Zebras in Africa]

Bibliography (All Resources Used)**

Zebra By: Malcolm Penny Grevy's Zebra Conservation: www.awf.org Species Survial Plans: www.stlzoo.org Endangered Species Conservation: http://www.lewa.org/ African Savanna: http://nationalzoo.si.edu Education: Conservation Issues: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/ About Us : http://www.knoxville-zoo.org/ Horn of Africa Conservation Center: http://www.stlzoo.org