THE RETURN OF ZEBRAS
THE RETURN OF ZEBRAS
There has been a lot of movement in the zoo in 2025 as animals begin to settle into their new habitats in Heart of Africa. One comeback we know many of you will be excited about is the return of the majestic Grévy’s zebra who’ll be joining the giraffes and other new members of the mixed savannah in the first ever habitat of its kind here at the zoo.
After two years being cared for in our conservation breeding area, three female zebras – Florence, Nadine and Merida – have recently relocated to Heart of Africa, with our Rhino Team leading the process and making the transition as smooth as possible.
MOVING DAY
Carefully relocating the zebra was actually a relatively speedy process. It took around just a couple of hours, from preparing the zebras to them safely reaching their new habitat. Unlike the complexities of moving a giraffe, which requires specialist equipment to be brought in, zebras can be moved in a fairly simple horse box style trailer. The key to success is all about keeping them as calm as possible and using the three females’ natural hierarchy to help them along the way.
We selected Florence, who is top of the hierarchy, to be the last of the trio to move as she’s a confident character and we felt she’d be most comfortable to remain on her own for a short spell. Nadine, the middle-ranking female, and Merida, the shyest of the three, moved at the same time but in separate horse boxes. When zebras see light, they can sometimes veer off, so we created a tunnel to help them to enter and exit their transport as smoothly as possible.”
Tom Garland, Rhino Team Manager, Chester Zoo
Since their arrival, the girls have settled into their new surroundings really well and have been taking a keen interest in getting to know their new neighbours, the roan antelope.
GET TO KNOW THE GIRLS
The Grévy’s zebra is the largest of the three species of zebra. You can also recognise them by their impressive long, narrow heads which set them apart from plains and mountain zebras. They are definitely the most eye-catching members of the horse family, with each individual carrying a unique stripe pattern, just like a human fingerprint.
Grévy's zebras are actually black with white stripes.
Grévy's zebras are actually black with white stripes.
GET TO KNOW THE GIRLS
The Grévy’s zebra is the largest of the three species of zebra. You can also recognise them by their impressive long, narrow heads which set them apart from plains and mountain zebras. They are definitely the most eye-catching members of the horse family, with each individual carrying a unique stripe pattern, just like a human fingerprint.
Can you spot which zebra is which when you visit Heart of Africa by looking at their chest patterns?
1. Florence – large smudgy pattern on her chest
2. Merida – has a heart-like shape inside one of her chest stripes
3. Nadine – has a dot in the middle of one of her black stripes
OUT IN THE FIELD
Due to declines in their population, there are now fewer than 2,000 Grévy's zebra found only in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. They're mainly threatened by habitat loss and are hunted for their striking striped skins.
We're helping to protect the future of the Grévy’s zebra in a number of ways, including population monitoring in Kenya. This close monitoring helps us to investigate the causes of decline in zebra, as well as elephants and rhino, helping us to take steps to save the species.
The zebras at Chester Zoo are also a part of the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme which we shone a spotlight on in our Winter 2024 edition of Our Zoo.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Due to declines in their population, there are now fewer than 2,000 Grévy's zebra found only in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. They're mainly threatened by habitat loss and are hunted for their striking striped skins.
We're helping to protect the future of the Grévy’s zebra in a number of ways, including population monitoring in Kenya. This close monitoring helps us to investigate the causes of decline in zebra, as well as elephants and rhino, helping us to take steps to save the species.
The zebras at Chester Zoo are also a part of the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme which we shone a spotlight on in our Winter 2024 edition of Our Zoo.
