The Quagga was a gentle and harmless equine that populated South Africa. A subspecies of the plains zebra that, due to the quality of its meat and its hide, was wiped out towards mid-nineteenth century. The last specimen (pictured left) died in the Amsterdam Zoo in 1883. The Quagga was recently brought back into existence, following the success of a selection process called “breeding back”, coordinated by Dr. Reinhold Rau (1932-2006, pictured in the middle photo with white hair and beard, affectionately called “the Quagga Man”), along with other researchers. With the somewhat nutty determination and idealism that distinguishes true dreamers, they devoted themselves towards reintroducing this animal into its natural habitat. A beautiful story with a happy ending in which everyonewins, especially the ecosystem and biodiversity – an important signal that, not haphazardly, was chosen to represent our work.
