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 19thcentury 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 quagga and its sex has not yet been determined.
