The Quagga Project
Launched in 1987, this project brings together a dedicated South African team working to restore an animal lost to extinction and return it to its natural habitat, correcting a mistake made over a century ago.
The Story of the Quagga
The goal of this revival project is to see herds resembling the original Quagga once again roaming the plains of the Karoo, where they historically lived across the Karoo and southern Free State. DNA later confirmed that the Quagga was not a separate species, but a subspecies of the Plains Zebra (Equus quagga).
Heavily hunted by settlers who saw them as competition for grazing, the Quagga was driven to extinction with the last known mare dying in Amsterdam in 1883, without anyone realising she was the last. Today, through careful selective breeding of southern Plains Zebras, efforts are underway to restore the Quagga’s distinctive striping and preserve its legacy.
What you should know
Quaggas (equus quagga quagga) were endemic to South Africa inhabiting the Karoo and southern Free State. Because they competed with livestock for grazing they were, however, hunted to extinction by hunters and farmers in the late 19th century.
Such was the beauty of the animals that it still today forms a part of the coat-of-arms of the Western Cape Province (with the scarce Bontebok which had to be rescued from extinction).
Since the last quagga died at the Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam on 12 August 1883, the world would had lost this iconic animal- more than a century ago- until it was brought back through the vision of German born naturalist and taxidermist, Reinhold Rau, and the efforts of South African scientists and game experts.
Here is its story- a unique and fascinating one- not to have yet been repeated anywhere else in the world. Since there are only three species of Zebra in Africa; Burchell’s or Plains Zebra, Mountain Zebra and Crevy’s Zebra (found only in East Africa) all other zebra are subspecies of these.
Reinhold Rau believed the Quagga was not a separate species, but a subspecies of the Plains Zebra. While remounting the last known specimen at the South African Museum in Cape Town, he collected tissue samples that were later analysed in the USA. In 1984, scientists confirmed through DNA testing that the Quagga was indeed a subspecies.
Because it was not a distinct species, this opened the door to the launch of the Quagga Project in 1986, a selective breeding programme aimed at concentrating the remaining Quagga genes within Plains Zebras to recreate the animal’s distinctive appearance.
Over more than 30 years, the Quagga rebreeding programme was led by Reinhold Rau, alongside Professor Eric Harley of the University of Cape Town, with key support from Elandsberg Farms in the Western Cape. Carefully selected Plains Zebras from regions including Zululand and Etosha formed the breeding foundation.
By the fourth generation, animals began displaying coat patterns closely resembling the extinct Quagga. In recognition of this achievement, the Rau Quagga was officially declared a Landrace breed under the Animal Improvement Act.
Quagga River Lodge became part of this story when its owners attended an auction in Stellenbosch and purchased three Rau Quaggas. They were understood to be the first private buyers to acquire Quaggas from the Quagga Project/Foundation for breeding purposes. The purpose was not only display, but to own, breed and continue the line.
Today, Quagga River Lodge is home to many Quaggas, making it one of the rare places where guests can encounter this extraordinary conservation story in person on the Cape West Coast.