Exotic Wildlife- Zebras

 Zebras resting below Hearst Castle

View Gary Genetti Zebra Bowl

In 1923 William Randolph Hearst created the largest private zoo in the world at “the ranch”, his estate formally name “La Cuesta Encantada” (“The Enchanted Hill”) . Exotic animal species that grazed the hillsides around the castle included: Bactrian (two-humped) and dromedary (one-humped) camels, deer from India, red deer from Europe, axis deer from Asia, llamas, kangaroos, ostriches, emus, Barbary sheep, Alaskan big horned sheep, musk oxen, yaks, African Antelope, giraffes and Zebras. In 1937 Hearst had to curtail construction activities at the ranch and was forced to dismantle the zoo because of financial difficulties. Most of the animals were donated to public zoos or sold by 1953. Today, zebras can be seen grazing along Highway 1 between Cambria and the town of San Simeon.