Edinburgh Zoo welcomes new Zebra as part of breeding programme to help endangered species

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Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed the arrival of a Grévy’s zebra stallion in its efforts to help the endangered species.

The male zebra, Oberon, arrived at Edinburgh Zoo from Chessington World of Adventures’ zoo as part of the breeding programme at the zoo. Keepers at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) are hopeful he will mate with the zoo’s resident females Azizi and Grace before he returns to Chessington at the end of the year.

The Grevy’s zebra population has declined by 54 per cent in the last three years according to the African Wildlife FoundationThe Grevy’s zebra population has declined by 54 per cent in the last three years according to the African Wildlife Foundation
The Grevy’s zebra population has declined by 54 per cent in the last three years according to the African Wildlife Foundation | RZSS

Edinburgh Zoo is now home to four zebras, Oberon, Azizi, Grace and Daniella. Born in 2002, Daniella arrived at the zoo in 2008, with younger zebras Grace and Azizi arriving at the wildlife charity in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

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Visitors will be able to spot the new arrival along with the rest of the herd in their hilltop habitat.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Grévy’s zebras have ‘undergone one of the most substantial reductions of range of any African mammal’ and it is estimated their population has declined by 54 per cent in the last three years.

The AWF say there are around 2,000 adult Grévy’s zebras in the world and the species is threatened due to habitat loss, illegal hunting and disease outbreaks. The Edinburgh Zoo website states: “Grévy’s zebra are the largest of the zebra family and as a result are preferred by both predators and human hunters alike.”

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