FaunaHub
VUVulnerablePartial review

Mountain Zebra

Equus zebra

Mountain zebra (Equus zebra), with a dewlap and grid-patterned rump.

Mountain zebra (Equus zebra), Etosha, Namibia.

Image: Yathin S Krishnappa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
VU · Vulnerable
Animal group
Mammals
Population trend
Increasing
Last verified

Conservation overview

The mountain zebra is a zebra of rugged southern African uplands, with a distinctive dewlap and a grid-like pattern on its rump. It is assessed as Vulnerable.

It nearly disappeared but has recovered in protected areas.

Range & habitat

Mountainous and rugged country of south-western Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Angola).

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Past hunting and habitat loss
  • Fragmentation into small populations
  • Competition with livestock

Why it matters

A sure-footed mountain specialist recovered through protected areas, the mountain zebra is a flagship for conserving southern Africa's rugged uplands.

Gallery

A mountain zebra showing its stripe pattern.

Mountain zebra (Equus zebra).

Image: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Mountain Zebra

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the mountain zebra different from other zebras?
It is adapted to steep, rocky terrain, has a small flap of skin (a dewlap) on its throat, and shows a distinctive grid-like stripe pattern on the rump.
Why is the mountain zebra Vulnerable?
Published assessments cite past hunting and habitat loss and fragmentation into small populations, though protected areas have helped it recover. See the IUCN Red List.

Last updated: