🦓 Did You Know About a Type of Zebra Called the Quagga?

The quagga, pronounced “kwah-gah,” was a subspecies of zebra that was once indigenous to South Africa until it became extinct due to extensive hunting in the late 19th century.

Recent genetic studies have shed more light that it is not a separate species as first thought, but a subspecies of the plains zebra, representing the southernmost clade, or ecotype, of the species. (Sorry for the science speak—it slips out sometimes!) That means it was a genetically distinct population that became adapted to its own environment over time.

The quagga, scientifically known as Equus quagga quagga, measured approximately 257 cm (8 ft 5 in) in length and stood 125–135 cm (12–13 hands / 4 ft 1 in–4 ft 5 in) tall at the withers. It had brown and white stripes primarily on the front half of the body, while the rear was mostly brown and without stripes, giving it a horse-like appearance distinct from today’s zebras.

Though information on the behaviour of the quagga is limited, it is widely believed they formed herds of around 30–50 animals. Although described by local herdspeople in the 1850s as wild and lively, quaggas were considered more docile than the related Burchell’s zebra and were once found in abundance in South Africa.

As is so often the case, due to man’s ignorance, after the European settlement of South Africa, the quagga was aggressively hunted because it competed with domesticated animals for forage.

Despite some being taken to zoos in Europe, breeding programmes ultimately failed, and tragically, the last wild quagga is believed to have disappeared by 1878. The last captive specimen perished in Amsterdam on 12 August 1883. The photograph shown here is believed to be the only photograph ever taken of a living quagga. Only 23 preserved hides remain today, all of which have been extensively studied.

In 1984, the quagga became the first extinct animal whose DNA was analysed. The Quagga Project emerged from that analysis, aiming to recreate the quagga’s distinctive coat pattern through selective breeding of the genetically closest subspecies, the Burchell’s zebra.

What a tragic end for such a wonderful animal. 💔