Reinhold Eugen Rau (7 February 1932 – 11 February 2006) was a German natural historian who initiated the Quagga Project in South Africa, which aims to re-breed the extinct quagga, a sub-species of zebra.

[3] Although principally known for his work on quaggas, Rau also rediscovered a species of tortoise which had been thought extinct.

[4] Rau continued to work at the South African Museum following his retirement;[3] he died on February 11, 2006,[2] at his home in Cape Town.

In 1971, Rau visited museums across Europe,[6] and ultimately examined 22 of the world's 23 quagga specimens.

Rau's quest to rebreed the Quagga is said to have provided inspiration for Michael Crichton's 1990 novel Jurassic Park.