ZEBRA
A relative of the horse family (Equidae)
the zebra is a gregarious animal moving in herds of 20 to 100 or more. They often move
with wildebeest and occasionally hartebeest or roan. This rather casual symbiosis with
other species allows them to pool their defensive alertness and they usually have
differing food preferences so grazing is not too competitive. Their gestation period is 12
months and in the wild have a lifespan of about 20 years.
Interestingly, the stripes of a zebra are
unique on each animal, like fingerprints. Burchell’s zebra, the subspecies found in
Luangwa Valley has evenly spaced dark and light
stripes as compared to those found in the south and east of Africa having broad light
stripes with faint shadow stripes between the thin dark lines.
Zebras
have shiny coats that dissipate over 70 percent of incoming heat, and some
scientists believe the stripes help the animals withstand intense solar
radiation. The black and white stripes are a form of camouflage called
disruptive coloration that breaks up the outline of the body. Although the
pattern is visible during daytime, at dawn or in the evening when their
predators are most active, zebras look indistinct and may confuse predators
by distorting true distance.
It has always been assumed that the
zebra’s stripes are for camouflage but even in woodland cover, this is not
convincing, besides which, they often spend their time on open grasslands where they are
very conspicuous because of their stripes. One theory is that it serves to create an
optical illusion of them being larger than they are or to confuse predators of their exact
position when striking, or to dazzle their enemies but there is little evidence for this.
Their real purpose can only be speculation at this stage of our understanding of animals.
Family
groups are stable members maintaining strong bonds over many years.
Mutual grooming, where zebras stand together and nibble the hair on each
other's neck and back, helps develop and preserve these bonds. Family
members look out for one another if one becomes separated from the rest, the
others search for it. The group adjusts its traveling pace to accommodate
the old and the weak.
Zebras are important prey for
lions and hyenas, and to a lesser extent for hunting dogs, leopards and
cheetahs. When a family group is attacked, the members form a semicircle,
face the predator and watch it, ready to bite or strike should the attack
continue. If one of the family is injured the rest will often encircle it to
protect it from further attack.
Found in most of the parks and in
abundance in
South Luangwa National Park
