Equus quagga


  • Common name: Quagga (a subspecies of the Plains Zebra)
  • Classification: Mammalia → Perissodactyla → Equidae
  • Extinction date: Last wild quagga died in the 1870s, last captive individual died in Amsterdam Zoo in 1883
 

       Scientific and Historical Significance

  • One of the most famous recently extinct mammals.
  • Subject of modern selective breeding projects (Quagga Project) using plains zebras to recreate similar coat pattern.

Competition with livestock for grazing.
Habitat loss from farming and settlement.
Overhunting for hides and meat.
Decline of certain subspecies such as the quagga.
Fragmentation from fences and roads.

A skeletal procession marches toward silence. From zebra to elephant, extinction unfolds before us. With each step of human expansion, the savanna’s voices vanish, one by one.


South Africa (Cape region)


The plains zebra (Equus quagga) once roamed widely across eastern and southern Africa, thriving in grasslands and savannas where seasonal rains supported large herds. Their stripes served not only as camouflage but also as a defense against biting insects.
During the 19th century, European settlers and hunters targeted zebras for hides and meat. Expansion of farms and towns reduced natural grazing land, while livestock herds competed for grass. The quagga, a southern subspecies, was hunted to extinction by the late 1800s.
Today, other subspecies of Equus quagga still survive in protected reserves, but human pressure continues to threaten their range. Their story shows how even abundant animals can vanish quickly if hunting and habitat loss are left unchecked.

      























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