Zebra ducker

Zebra ducker

We are delighted that Susanne and Konrad Heinrich have taken over the sponsorship of the zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra).

According to the latest estimates, not even 15,000 individuals of this small antelope species are still alive today. It is estimated that the population of zebra duikers, which are found exclusively in the West African rainforests between Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast, has shrunk by more than 30% in the last 30 years - i.e. in just three generations.

The hunt for "bushmeat" and the ongoing destruction of the few remaining primary rainforests in West Africa are the reason why zebra duikers are classified as "endangered" on the International Red List. In some regions, they are already considered almost extinct. This is because zebra duikers are the least adaptable of all antelope species and are more or less dependent on undisturbed forest habitats.

As this small antelope species is becoming increasingly rare in its natural habitat and is also not often seen in museums, this zebra duiker exhibit is one of our particularly valuable "godchildren".