Earning Your Stripes

Duane Gilbert is not your typical rancher. Sure, he raises cattle on his ranch here in Utah and has some horses as part of his operation as well. But if you check the pasture land on his Castle Dale Ranch, you're going to find some unusual looking livestock.

Duane is a busy man. He works the night shift at a Utah coal mine but spends his days feeding his animals and handling the usual dirty work. But there's something else that makes him one of a kind.

Duane is a zebra rancher. And he's been a success at it for close to 20 years. He says, "You know, a friend of mine in California, years ago says, you really like horses: try zebra's, you'll just love zebra's."

And love them he does; often from the day they're born.

Baby zebras are always in demand, mostly by petting zoo's. And as they get older these striped equines attract the fancy of exotic animal collectors. When asked, is it a business or a hobby? Duane answers with a laugh, "It's not a hobby. I work for this!"

And while other livestock markets go up and down...the demand for these colorful animals seems to be recession proof. Duane exclaims, "Zebra's have been good and the market has stayed steady for 20-years. And that was 20-years ago!"

Zebra's are more expensive than the average horse. A stud commands around 35-hundred dollars, a mare twice that amount. A full grown zebra? Well, one of those can fetch as much as 10-thousand dollars. There are only a small number of licensed zebra breeders across the country. Duane's Utah ranch is one of the few in the west.

His wife, Kolene, helps run the operation. When asked, ever have reservations about this zebra thing? She laughingly replied, "I've had reservations about all of his animals." And that includes Watusi cattle. Like the zebra, they're native to Africa. In fact, one of Duane's herds set a world record for the size of its horns. But it's the zebras that get the most attention.

Despite all appearances, this is no black and white job. Zebra's are still wild animals which makes them temperamental, unpredictable and difficult would be an understatement.

The family manages about 40 zebra here on the grassy plains of central Utah. These animals are built to run from their predators. But they've been known to run themselves to death into trees or fences. Duane's son Jesse says, "They're high strung, not temperamental as much as high strung. You don't want to get em running, because if they start they don't stop."

That's another reason Duane screens prospective buyers. This call came from California, but his license allows him to sell anywhere in the world. Duane explains, "People that call and say ‘I live in the middle of a city & I want a zebra for my front yard.' I more or less explain it wouldn't be a fitting situation for them."

Duane has found his zebras in demand and not only in the United States. Some zebra ranchers in Africa have even used Duane's stock to improve their own herds.

Now this all makes Duane a big hit with the grand kids. And Kolene has a sense of humor about it. Look around and you'll notice a zebra welcome sign, a zebra door mat, kitchen chairs in zebra stripes and dozens of black and white figurines. We asked Kolene, we think you're a fan of the zebra, aren't you? She said, "It makes it easier for my kids or my friends to find something to give me."

Duane will tell you that zebras set his ranch apart. Lively colored livestock quite unlike anything else. He says, "We raise for people to enjoy and that's what they're for. It's not to make a lot of money out of it. Once you've owned zebras it's hard not to own another one. People just love to have them around."