The Story of the Extinct Quagga and the Endangered Grevy's Zebra

Zebras may look similar, but they are actually classified into various species. Zebras are divided into three species: Grevy's zebra, plains zebra, and mountain zebra. Each species reportedly has different characteristics, such as the pattern of stripes on their bodies, the shape of their tails, and the shape of their ears.

Unlike horses or donkeys, which have been domesticated by humans, zebras have never been domesticated. The reason why zebras haven't been domesticated is likely due to their fear of humans. It is believed that zebras have avoided humans because they have been hunted by humans for a long time.

In fact, the zebra species 'Quagga,' which went extinct due to human hunting in the 1870s, had a unique appearance with stripes only on half of its body. This unique appearance led to its indiscriminate hunting by the Dutch who settled in South Africa, eventually leading to its complete extinction. Currently, a Quagga restoration project is underway in Africa. It is being carried out by identifying mutations using similar genes.

Having experienced extinction once, the case of the Quagga should serve as a cautionary tale to ensure that no more zebras go extinct. Despite this, some zebras are still endangered. Grevy's zebra currently inhabits parts of Kenya and Ethiopia, with a total population of less than 2,000. Grevy's zebra is listed as Endangered (EN) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is at high risk of extinction in the near future without continuous conservation efforts and attention.

Grevy's zebra is the largest of the three zebra species. It is believed that indiscriminate poaching for meat and fur has driven it to the brink of extinction. To prevent Grevy's zebra from becoming extinct, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has partnered with the Kenya Wildlife Service to attach GPS collars to Grevy's zebras to track their location. This data can be used to study and research the movement patterns and lifestyle of Grevy's zebras. This can help in efforts to ensure that Grevy's zebras overcome the threat of extinction.

I hope that these conservation efforts will continue so that an event like the extinction of the Quagga never happens again.