Paul Muoria, PhD

Grevy’s Zebra Research Scientist
Samburu Heartland, Kenya

 

The man can’t get enough stripes. Dr. Paul Muoria chases Grevy’s zebras around Kenya like they’re going out of style.

In a way, they are.

The total estimated population of Grevy’s zebras is between 2,000-2,500 individuals representing an 88% decline since 1977. Formerly ranging from Kenya through Somalia and Ethiopia to the coast of Eritrea, they now remain almost entirely in northern Kenya’s Samburu Heartland.

Paul and his team are studying the migration and distribution of Grevy’s in order to understand how they can be better protected. The decline in the Grevy’s population is thought to be the result of poaching since their skins were once highly sought after by the fashion industry for making handbags and rugs. Although a hunting ban was instituted in the 1970s, the number of Grevy’s zebras has continued to decline.

Paul is a member of the Grevy’s Zebra Task Force which is charged with providing recommendation about how to deal with problems such as anthrax outbreaks, over-predation, and land fragmentation which pose serious threats to the survival of Grevy’s as a species.

Read more about Paul’s Grevy’s zebra conservation.