Did You Know? Killer whales are the top predator in the ocean; a healthy adult can prey on anything that lives in the sea and has no predators of its own. View More Endangered Hartmann's Mountain Zebra Make New Home on Busch Gardens' Serengeti Plain Redesigned Habitat Provides Space for Free-Roaming Herd Endangered Hartmann's Mountain Zebra Make New Home on Busch Gardens' Serengeti Plain Redesigned Habitat SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Read more... View the Archives

By Robyn Hanke, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Last summer, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay rebuilt its 26-acre Northern Serengeti Plain to provide a new home for three of the park's rare white rhinos. Busch Gardens is now also positioned to care for a herd of endangered Hartmann's mountain zebra. "Busch Gardens is perfectly suited to manage these remarkable animals because of our facilities and expertise," says Glenn Young, Busch Gardens' vice president of zoological operations. "We're one of only a few zoological facilities in the country that have a 65-acre open savannah, where we can manage the Hartmann's zebra as a herd." In fact, only 362 Hartmann's zebra can be found within 47 zoos worldwide. In the U.S., nine zoos and private facilities care for the country's 244 Hartmann's zebra. An estimated 208 of those zebra are owned by a single private ranch. Unfortunately, Hartmann's zebra are in serious danger of being eliminated from their ancestral habitats. Twenty years ago, more than 50,000 Hartmann's zebra were found in southwestern Africa. Today, experts estimate there are only about 5,000 of the animals living in disconnected pockets in the western regions of Namibia. Moreover, the Namibian government currently restricts animals from leaving its borders. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) has established a Population Management Plan (PMP) to oversee the zoological population of Hartmann's zebra. The PMP provides recommendations to zoological facilities to assure the survival of the population and the health of individual animals. Population manager Farshid Mehrdadfar, who is currently studying the ecology of Hartmann's zebra and Burchell's zebra in Etosha National Park in Namibia, says Busch Gardens' management of Hartmann's zebra will be a huge step forward in the effort to save these endangered animals.

"The habitat of the Hartmann's zebra has become fragmented by farming. As a result, we're starting to see hybridization between Hartmann's zebra and the Burchell's zebra. In other words, different species are coming together," says Mehrdadfar. "And, unfortunately, there are very few facilities that can cater to the Hartmann's zebra's special needs and properly monitor their health. It's very important that the stallion be able to exhibit its natural behavior with the herd." In addition to the Hartmann's zebra, Busch Gardens has displayed endangered Grevy's zebra since 1961. The park has five females on its Southern Serengeti Plain and a herd of eight - including a colt born last year - living at the park's off-site breeding facility. Hartmann's zebra have several characteristics that clearly differentiate them from the Grevy's zebra. One of the most noticeable features is their wide black rump stripes. A gridiron pattern on their backs also helps distinguish them. In addition, Hartmann's are the only zebra species to have a pouch, known as a dewlap, beneath their chin. "Zebras are a very recognizable species to the public, and they're strikingly beautiful," says Young. When our guests see this large, impressive herd, it's going to be a wonderful opportunity for us to share a great conservation message and educate them about the plight of zebras." One of the ways Busch Gardens will educate its guests about the Hartmann's zebra is through the Saving a Species tour. Developed last year in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the 45-minute safari tour gives guests the opportunity to have up-close encounters with the park's endangered black rhinos, white rhinos and a variety of other animals as they traverse the 65-acre Serengeti Plain. For each tour purchased, Busch Gardens donates $2 to support WWF's critical field efforts. "The Saving a Species tour is an intimate experience with a maximum of just 16 guests," says Christine Charlick, Busch Gardens' Zoo Education Tours supervisor. "This small-group setting gives our zoo educators an opportunity to talk about what actions guests can take to conserve while they are getting up-close to exotic and endangered animals. Now that the Hartmann's zebra will be sharing the same habitat as the white rhinos, our conservation message will be even stronger."