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Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West, renowned for its environmental programmes, is celebrating the birth of a young ‘Rau’ quagga, a rare zebra sub-species.
The arrival of the healthy youngster is a milestone in an ambitious project, initiated by a dedicated group of conservationists in 1987, to breed an animal resembling as closely as possible the quagga.
This animal was hunted to extinction in the second half of the 19th century and the last known mare died in Amsterdam Zoo in 1883.
The young Vergelegen foal was born on 14 December after a 12-month gestation period.
It was left undisturbed to bond with the other seven quaggas and its sex has not yet been determined.
“This youngster appears very relaxed and has been accepted as one of the herd,” says Eben Olderwagen, Environmental Project Manager at the 323-year-old estate. “It has grown about 15cm taller in a month and has been spotted nibbling lucerne, in addition to suckling from its mother.”
Quagga are shorter and stockier than Southern Plains zebras, with a pale brown hide and black markings, unlike the white hide and black markings of other Plains zebras.
They usually have stripes on the head, neck and front portion of their bodies only.
