Nairobi - Kenyan scientists said on Wednesday that they had rescued endangered Grevy's zebras from possible extinction after an outbreak of deadly anthrax last year and were working to increase their population. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said "quick intervention" had saved the animals, known for their narrow and finer stripes and large ears, from being wiped out by the disease, which was exacerbated by a recent drought in the scrub-peppered northern Kenya plains. "After we got reports that the Grevy's zebras were dying, we mobilised our teams and carried out mass vaccinations against anthrax and treated other diseases," Patrick Omondi, KWS head of species management, told reporters. "We contained the threat and ensured that their population, which is extremely low, does not reduce further. We are now working on a five-year programme to increase their population." Omondi said the programme, in which Ethiopia is involved, includes creating protected breeding sanctuaries. Fewer than 2 000 Grevy's zebras are believed to live in the wild. About 1 800 live near sprawling plains in and around Kenya's central Samburu National Reserve, about 230km north of Nairobi, and the rest in southern Ethiopia.

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