Conservation goals for the Cape mountain zebra Equus zebra zebra—security in numbers?

Abstract

The target of the 2002 IUCN Action Plan for the Cape mountain zebra Equus zebra zebra was for a population of 2,500 animals. We assessed the validity of this goal by reviewing the conservation status of the subspecies and the prospects of achieving larger populations. All subpopulations were identified and data on each were collected by means of a questionnaire survey. The total extant Cape mountain zebra population was found to consist of at least 2,790 individuals in 52 subpopulations. The target number of 2,500 has therefore been exceeded and this success is largely attributable to the private sector, as there are at present double the number of privately owned subpopulations (35) compared to formally protected subpopulations (17) and the percentage of the population on privately owned land rose from 14% in 1998 to 32% in 2009. The security of the subspecies is still of concern, however, as the growing proportion of the metapopulation on private land is more vulnerable to threats associated with small populations and management actions. The total existing area available to the Cape mountain zebra is > 935,191 ha and it could potentially support a considerably larger population. We conclude that the IUCN target is substantially below the potential for recovery of the Cape mountain zebra and we recommend this target be revised in the light of these findings. More comprehensive conservation strategies to address current and potential future threats are also needed.

Adaptive Governance of Cape Mountain Zebra, Can It Work?

“…They are a near endemic to the Cape Floristic Region (Boshoff et al 2015;Birss et al 2015;Hrabar and Kerley 2013), an internationally recognised global Biodiversity Hotspot (Myers et al 2002).…”

“…There appears to be considerable scope, >935,191 ha, for increasing the area and number of sub-populations of Cape mountain zebra (Hrabar and Kerley 2013). An assessment of the CapeNature protected areas consolidated with mountain catchment areas in the Western Cape indicates that potential habitat of <855,940 ha could be available for the reintroduction and reinforcement of a number of viable Cape mountain zebra populations, (populations >100 individuals), (Birss et al 2016).…”

“…The overall population growth rate of the Cape mountain zebra metapopulation has remained positive (Hrabar and Kerley 2013;, however, not all sub-populations are maintaining a positive growth rate CapeNature 2016). The mean annual rate of increase was maintained at 10% from , compared to 8.6% from 1985to 1995(Novellie et al 1996, 9.6% from 1995 and 1998 (Novellie et al 2002) and 8.4% from 1998 and 2002.…”

“…It has been recommended by various authors Hrabar and Kerley 2013;Hill 2009;Sasidharan et al 2011;Moodley and Harley 2006) that the three relic populations should be mixed. With due consideration to the potential deleterious genetic consequences as indicated by Frankham et al (2002) and Allendorf et al (2012), introductions into either Kammanassie and or Gamkaberg subpopulations must be avoided and alternative locations for mixing and monitoring the effects of mixing must B M P-S : C A P E M O U N TA I N Z E B R A I N S O U T H A F R I C A 37 be considered.…”

“…(Novellie et al 2002) suggested a Cape mountain zebra population target of 2,500. This number, now exceeded, needs to be reassessed (Hrabar and Kerley 2013). Kerley et al (2003) suggests Cape mountain zebra population targets of 7,249 for pre-transformation areas and 5,194 excluding transformed areas within the NDR in the Cape Floristic Region.…”