![]() Florida's wildlife agency sought to revoke his state-issued license over violations of rules regarding animals, and Holly has been cited by the U.S. Prince George's County officials say he owned 39 zebras on a 300-acre farm in Upper Marlboro, Md (including the three escapees).Īn examination of public records, licenses, and reports shows an exotic animal breeding business in two states that spans far more than zebras: Holly has owned large cats, primates, giraffes, and bears, among other animals. The zebra owner has not spoken to members of the media or otherwise made public statements, even after the recent revelation that one of the escaped zebras died in a snare trap a month ago. The escape of three zebras from a Maryland farm in late August has captivated the region, but the person at the center of it all - exotic animal breeder Jerry Holly - has remained an enigma throughout the saga. ![]() After the season’s passing, they will once again mix with other males.A newborn baby zebra named Seka rests at the Belgrade Zoo in Serbia. During the breeding season, males will become highly territorial, guarding boundaries of large swaths of land to keep herds within them. In contrast, Grevy’s zebra groupings fluctuate, and associations within the group last only a few months. Burchell’s zebra live in herds of permanent members. While young females stay with the family group, males will separate from the herd and join bachelor groups. The relationship between mare and foal is the strongest social bond. Zebras form social units of a group of mares and their offspring, guarded by a dominant stallion. Zebras neigh in a similar fashion to horses, as well as a strange characteristic whinny. Zebras are mostly active by day, with a peak of activity at dawn and dusk they seek out shade at midday and rest intermittently during the night. Their stripes appear reddish-brown rather than black up until about 6 months old. Once a female becomes pregnant, the gestation period lasts 13 months.Īs young as 1 month old, foals become strikingly independent and may be left alone while mares travel a few miles for water or to graze. Courtship and breeding last two days, with mating repeated every one to two hours. Male zebras sexually mature at age 1 or 2, but do not reach social maturity-the capacity to seize or guard a female herd or territory-until 6 years old. However, like the elephant, they need to drink water on a daily basis, and hence, they are rarely far from a water source.īreeding rituals are connected to the rains. These grasses, often passed over by other grazers, allow the zebra to endure during times when their counterparts struggle for survival. These common animals are single-stomached (non-ruminants), which allows them to consume rough, dry grasses. There are several species of zebra in Africa, all of which inhabit open and wooded grasslands. The Swahili word for “zebra” is “pundamilia,” which translates literally to “striped donkey.” The function of a zebra’s stripes is still up for debate, though it is widely thought that the stripes act as a way of confusing predators, either by camouflaging or making the zebra’s form ambiguous from a distance.
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