… the Zebra!
Often it is an animal that not many of our guests thought about before getting here for their African safari, and yet it is an animal that literally everyone immediately recognises once they spot it. They are of course a sub-species of the equids (like horses), but they are the only equids that have never really been domesticated, unlike horses and donkeys. Well, not quite: there was a gentleman in London, in the 19th century, who had a zebra-“powered” carriage in London, and he would show it off frequently. I suppose the kind of “exotic” car of the times. 😉
Their stripes is what makes them famous and highly recognisable. Every animal has a completely unique stripe pattern, like a human fingerprint. There are many theories as to what the purposes of these stripes is. Some thought that it “dazzles” predators, as most predators are color-blind, but it is now widely thought that it reduces the amount of insects that targets them (up to 85% actually), so that gives them a survival edge.
They are social animals, living in herds, often mingling with wildebeest, as their respective smell and hearing skills complement each other very well. An interesting kind of symbiosis actually. Zebras have great eyesight, and wildebeest a great sense of smell.
While several sub-species are extinct, and several on the brink, the Zebra is overall not in great danger, but they are under pressure, as they are hunted for their meat and also their fur. The herds we have on our reserve are doing well, and we see them very regularly. They are, in my opinion, one of the prettiest animals in Africa, I always enjoy seeing them, and so do our guests, especially the ones interested in all things equine.
Here a couple of photos Chad and Uyai took a couple of days ago.
