Taxidermy of a Quagga, the animal the Portuguese identified as a "Zebra" for the first time.
The Zebro was a widely reported equine from the Iberian Peninsula, up until the late Middle Ages. It is likely that the name of the known animal, the Zebra, comes from this cryptid's name, as it was also known for its zebra-like stripes.[1]
Theories[]
The two main prevailing theories identify the Zebro as either the surviving wild horse known as the Sorraia or as the wild European ass (Equus hemionus hydruntinus).
If the latter is assumed to be true then that would mean the last megafaunal extinction in Europe was that of the Zebro/Hydruntine in the 16th Century. If the former is true, then it's possible that such an event didn't happen at all, as current research is still being done on the Sorraia to understand its relationship to domestic horses, tarpans and the Przewalski's horse, with a small possibility that the Sorraia is indeed a truly wild European horse.[1]