These Cape Mountain Zebra were photographed in The Karoo National Park, Western Cape, South Africa on a customized Aves Western Cape Birding Tour.

Cape Mountain Zebra

The Cape Mountain Zebra - Equus zebra zebra - is a subspecies of the mountain Zebra found only in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The Cape Mountain Zebra is one of the rarest mammals in the world.

Description

The mountain zebra has a prominent dewlap, a reddish brown nose, a white stomach, a gridiron pattern on the rump and no shadow stripes. Its broad black stripes are closely spaced on a pure white body. Overall it is stockier than the Hartmann's subspecies, has longer ears, and has a larger dewlap.

Food

They mainly eat grass but will eat leaves if no grass available.

Breeding

Conservation Status – Endangered

The Cape mountain zebra formerly inhabited all the mountain ranges of the southern Cape Province of South Africa. By 1922, however, only 400 were believed to survive. To counteract the continued decline, Mountain Zebra National Park was established in 1937 on acacia veld near Cradock, South Africa, but its small population of Cape mountain zebra became extinct in 1950. That same year reintroductions from nearby remnant populations began.

Eleven animals were donated from a nearby farm in 1950, and in 1964 another small herd was added. By the late 1960s, the total Cape mountain population was only 140 but grew to 200 by 1979, with 75 percent of the animals in Mountain Zebra National Park. In 1984, the population was back to 400 head. In 1986 total numbers were around 500, where 200 to 230 were in the Mountain Zebra National Park and about 90 in the Karoo National Park.

Game Viewing

Asks Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a tour for you to see these beautiful antelope or book on one of the following Aves scheduled tours: -

Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.