ZEBRA FACTS

“mountain zebra” are mentioned, many South Africans think of the National Mountain-zebra Park (or in Afrikaans “) near Cradock in the Eastern Cape. The word “quagga” or “kwagga” is an imitation of the animal’s vocal call. Although that name should, strictly speaking, be limited to the extinct true quagga (), some apply it in spoken language, to all the zebra species. In this way the mountain-zebra () became “bergkwagga” in Afrikaans. Pioneers on their) north of the Orange rver, and named it the “bontkwagga”. In some areas where the mountain-zebra occurred historically, local inhabitants often used the word “for it, resulting in certain locality names being named after the mountain-zebra, e.g. “, or on the old maps “in the Moordenaars karoo, or Wildeperdehoekpas in the Northern Cape.