A social and nomadic animal, the Grant’s zebra grazes on the grasslands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Zebras live in groups called harems, which typically consist of up to 18 individuals, with a dominant male (stallion) leading the group. The stallion’s role includes protecting mares and foals from predators, and he can defend the group using powerful kicks, bites, and scratches. This kick is particularly potent and can inflict serious harm to predators such as lions, hyenas, and African wild dogs, who tend to approach cautiously.

Foals are born with brown and white stripes, and they can walk and run with the herd within an hour after birth. Mothers usually keep newborns separated for a short time to allow them to imprint on their distinctive stripes, scent, and vocalisations, which are crucial for identification.

The Grant's zebra is the most abundant and widespread of all six of the plains zebra subspecies but has still seen its numbers in the wild dwindle because of ongoing conflicts in and around its native habitats.

Zebras and horses have been crossbred to create a zorse, an animal used for trekking in Mount Kenya. Some scientists believe their black and white stripes may help them withstand the intense solar radiation of their native habitat as well as being a form of camouflage that breaks up the outline of their bodies - making them appear indistinct to predators.

The zebras at Fota are from east and central Africa - the same race that occupies the Serengeti ecosystem of Tanzania and Kenya. The main stallion is Barney, who was born at Fota back in 1988, and he has fathered several offspring to date – including the aptly named Zedward. Part of the African savannah, the herd mixes well with the giraffe, ostrich and oryx groups.