Grevy's Zebra (Equus grevyi) Fact Sheet: Distribution & Habitat

Africa

• Historical distribution
• Across Horn of Africa (from Kenya's National Grevy's Zebra Task Force 2008)
• Previously found in Ejibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya
• Current distribution (Williams 2002)
• Arid regions of southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya
• Possible sightings in southern Sudan
• Kenya
• Eastern side of Rift Valley to the Tana River
• Largest and most stable population in Buffalo Springs, Samburu, and Shaba National Reserves
• Range has expanded onto Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Laikipia Plateau, perhaps to avoid lowland domestic livestock
• Around Tsavo East National Park (introduced population)
• Ethiopia
• Isolated population in Alledeghi Plains northeast of Awash National Park
• Lake Ch'ew Bahir in south to north of Mt. Kenya
• A few individuals along the Tana River
• Locally extinct by 1912 from Shoa highlands and Ogaden plains of Ethiopia

Hot and dry climates (Ginsberg 1989)

• Acacia/Commiphora thornbush (from Estes 1991)
• Also areas with herbs and grasses and/or barren plains
• Habitat use dependent on reproductive status (from Sundaresan et al. 2007)
• Lactating females and bachelor males seek young, green grass more than other zebras
• Lactating females tolerate only 2 days without water
• Others may go up to 5 days without water

Regions with variable and unpredictable environmental conditions (Ginsberg 1989)

• Highly variable rainfall patterns
• Timing and quantity of rain not dependable as rains often fail
• Do not migrate if food and water are sufficient

Grevy's Zebra distribution.

Adapted from www.d-maps.com according to IUCN fact sheet. Click here or on map for detailed distribution (IUCN)

Churcher (1993)
Estes (1991)
Ginsberg (1989)
Kenya's National Grevy's Zebra Task Force (2008)
Moehlman et al (2008)
Sundaresan et al (2007)
Williams (2002)