The last known quagga died in captivity on August 12, 1883, in the Amsterdam zoo, having been hunted to extinction in the Cape region, where they were once plentiful.

Quaggas were frequently confused with zebras in early explorers’ accounts. Unlike zebras, a quagga’s stripes are most distinct on the neck and head, and its coat is tawny. When first described in 1788, the quagga was regarded as a separate species. Modern genetic studies indicate that they are likely related to the plains zebra. Their fewer stripes may be an adaptation to the open grassland of the south.