Last quagga dies at Artis zoo in Amsterdam

Background. The quagga was an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra endemic to South Africa. The last captive specimen, a female, resided at the Natura Artis Magistra zoo in Amsterdam. The zoological society Natura Artis Magistra purchased the core of the current zoo property, the Middenhof estate in the Plantage, late in 1838, when that area was thinly populated on the outskirts of Amsterdam. The animal's death in 1883 marked the end of the last known captive quagga, though this status was not immediately acknowledged.

Circumstances of Death. The female quagga lived at the Amsterdam zoo from 9 May 1867 until her death on 12 August 1883. The specific origin and cause of her death remain unclear. Due to the common usage of the term 'quagga' for all zebras at the time, the realization that this was the last living individual of the subspecies occurred only years after the event.