This is a Cape Mountain Zebra and her foal, photographed at dusk in the Mountain Zebra National Park in the Karoo, South Africa. This subspecies of zebra was hunted to near extinction in the early 1900s, but thanks to the concerted efforts by the South African National Parks their numbers have increased from less than 100 in the 1950s to nearly 2000 individuals. They are listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List after previously being listed as "endangered". Only by setting apart large tracts of land, rehabilitating previously removed species and preserving that land for our children will we be able to preserve some ecological sanity in this ever-expanding world. If you ever get a chance to visit the Mountain Zebra National Park - please do! Not only will you have the lovely zebras and beautiful vistas in all directions, you could also see a great variety of wildlife and birdlife.
<div>Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
f5.6 | 1/400 SS | ISO-2000
Comments
3 commentsThis is a very nice image of these beautiful zebras . . . . . Love the light, pose and eye contact Morkel.
<div id="myEventWatcherDiv" style="display:none;"> </div>Morkel,
SAN parks are not the "devils" the press portray them to be they have certainly done a very fine job in the thankless job of preserving many of South Africas "endangered" species. I think that the role of the farmers, in starting many of these parks should not be overlooked.
These are beautiful animals that live in a beautiful park that is a must to visit.
Not to sure that I support the reintroduction of Lion though.
If "mum" had her head held a little higher this would have been perfect.
I like this a lot Morkel, nice poses and lighting with a sweet bg