The zebra’s uniquely striped coat sets it apart from all other living creatures – making it easily recognized by even the smallest of children. But some species of zebra are facing an uncertain future.Grevy’s zebra is an endangered species in need of some help to survive. In the 1970s it was estimated that 15,000 of these unique creatures roamed the earth – but today that number is fewer than 3,000.
Once widespread in the Horn of Africa, Grevy’s zebras now only exist in northern Kenya and three small pockets of Ethiopia. In order to help preserve this precious resource, the Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) was created. The program hires local people as Scouts and Ambassadors to watch over, protect and raise awareness of this fragile species.
Over the last five years, the GZT’s efforts have been extremely successful. This new group of guardians have been able to keep an eye on remote areas the previously had no monitoring – decreasing poaching and making the community aware of the Zebra’s plight.
In addition, each year members attend workshops to discuss the data collected - and present this valuable information to policy makers. It’s an inspiring model of a community based action plan that works – and can serve as a positive example for other conservation efforts.
The community Scouts and Ambassadors continue to be instrumental in changing attitudes towards the species across a wide area in Northern Kenya. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has been proud to help support their efforts since 2007.
