Conserving the Grevy's Zebra in Kenya and Ethiopia

The Grevy's Zebra was once widespread in Kenya. Today, the country is home to only a couple thousand of these animals. The Grevy’s zebra is in very serious danger of extinction in the wild, and it’s not alone: half of all wildlife in Kenya has been lost to habitat destruction and poaching in the last 20 years.

The Community Connection

What is the solution to the long-term conservation of Grevy's zebra and other endangered wildlife in the Horn of Africa? The answer lies with the local communities. In the past, Kenyan and Ethiopian communities have had very little incentive to protect their wildlife because doing so provided no direct benefits to the people. But the support of local communities is absolutely essential to Grevy’s zebra conservation, because community-owned property is home to the vast majority (more than 99.5%!) of the remaining wild population. So if conservation efforts in Kenya and Ethiopia are to be successful, the efforts must consider the needs of the rural people as well as the needs of the wildlife. In particular, conservation efforts must improve security for both the wildlife and the communities, as well as enhance the livelihoods of the people.

Grevy's Zebra Trust

An independent wildlife conservation organization, the Grevy's Zebra Trust was established to work with the communities to address critical conservation issues facing the Grevy's zebra in both Kenya and Ethiopia.  The Trust addresses several underlying problems facing the zebras by:

• Addressing the on-going poaching problems in remote areas where there is little or no conservation investment
• Securing grazing and water resources for the zebra
• Supporting the development of national Grevy's zebra conservation programs
• Developing and supporting a disease outbreak response strategy
  
• Raising awareness of conservation issues through community workshops and education, training and employment opportunities

Grevy's Zebra Scout Program
The Grevy's Zebra Trust facilitates the Grevy's Zebra Scout Program, a collaborative program between the communities of northern Kenya, the Grevy's Zebra Trust, the Zoo's WildCare Institute and Princeton University.  In 2003, several communities in the northern rangelands elected two women and one man from each area to serve as Grevy's Zebra Scouts.  These scouts collect data on the distribution and abundance of Grevy's zebra in order to provide a better understanding of the ecology of the zebra in areas of high livestock density.  The information gathered by the scouts will also guide community conservation education programs, so that community members themselves can help decide how to reduce competition between Grevy's zebra and livestock.

There is another tangible benefit of the Scout Program: scouts are compensated for their data gathering work - an excellent example of the kind of benefits conservation can bring to local people.  Hear these Voices From Kenya.

Northern Rangelands Trust

Community conservation programs are already underway in Kenya.  Efforts include partnering with the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), a community-based conservation organization. Many partners are working with the NRT to support the development of new protected areas to conserve Kenyan wildlife. The NRT employs local scouts to study and protect the wildlife within the community conservancies.

Teacher Training Program
Ultimately, the future of all wildlife in northern Kenya depends on the attitudes of the people living there.  So it's especially important to provide a strong conservation message to local children, the next generation of decision-makers. With this in mind, the Saint Louis Zoo, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Princeton University scientists and the San Diego Zoo have developed the Teacher Training Program in Kenya.

The Teacher Training Program has a two-step approach. First, the program teaches local educators about conservation, wildlife dynamics and the biology of the Grevy's zebra. Second, the program helps the teachers pass this knowledge on to their primary-school students through the creation of specific lesson plans.  Through the Teacher Training Program, we hope to inspire the next generation of Kenyans to work for wildlife conservation.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Set in a spectacular landscape of rolling hills, the 100-square-mile Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is an area in northern Kenya dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and its habitats. The Grevy’s zebra is one of the species protected on Lewa land and is fairing well there, with a population of between 400-500 animals.  Lewa is the first cooperatively managed, private wildlife conservancy in Kenya and serves as a model for similar conservation efforts in a country where three-fourths of the wildlife lives on unprotected lands.

How Can You Help the Grevy’s Zebra in Ethiopia and Kenya?

The Saint Louis Zoo and its partners are working hard to protect the Grevy’s zebra and other endangered wildlife in northern Kenya. You can help, too. Here’s how:

Learn more about the Grevy's Zebra and other endangered wildlife by visiting the Saint Louis Zoo.

Care about the challenges facing Grevy’s zebras and African communities and tell others. One great way to make a difference is by participating in the WildCare Institute's Club Conservation.   See how the North Kirkwood Middle School started its own Conservation Club.

Contribute to the Zoo's Grevy's Zebra conservation program in Kenya and help us save this rare zebra. Protecting the people and the wildlife in the northern rangeland communities is essential to successful conservation. By helping to support the Grevy's Zebra Trust's Scout Program, you will help to preserve the last remaining wild populations of the Grevy's zebra. Scout support provides salary, uniforms, vehicles, and equipment -- all necessary for the scouts who are working hard every day to create a safe haven for Grevy's zebra and other endangered wildlife.

You can also help conserve Grevy's zebra by supporting a Kenyan boy or girl to attend secondary school. In Kenya, the future of the Grevy's zebra and other endangered wildlife depends on the attitudes of the local people, including the children -- the next generation of decision makers for their country. Most Kenyans cannot afford to attend secondary school (grades 9-12). To increase the education opportunities available and to reinforce the value of conserving Grevy's zebra to Kenyan children and their parents, we offer Grevy's Zebra Bursaries, or scholarships. The Grevy's Zebra Bursaries pay for the tuition, uniform and board for girls and boys to complete secondary school, thus offering them greater opportunities for their future.

For more information on Kenyan scouts and bursaries or to make a donation, please call the Zoo at (314) 768-5440 or make your contribution online. (Please indicate your gift is for the WildCare Institute.)