| Actual Image
Burchells Zebra (4)
ingridshaul
![Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 42 W: 7 N: 112]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-g.gif) (301) | The Zebra is a very well-known animal and need no introduction. Stallions have a shoulder height of about 140 cm and weigh up to 320 kg: Predominantly a grazer - but will browse occasionally. Found always in open areas, they live in small families - but form sometimes herds of thousands in the Kruger Park.
Although they may look alike at first sight, there a NO TWO ANIMALS IDENTICAL.
For this reason, the female will shield the baby from seeing any other Zebra for the first 3-4 days to ensure HER pattern is imprinted on the foal’s mind. If a foal gets separated from the mother and cannot find her – as soon as it starts crying for her, the herd will kick the foal’s head until it stops crying and or/dies. The reason for this behaviour is to protect the herd from being attacked by Lions, which would be attracted by the noise.
Very often Zebras will be seen in company of other game, particularly blue wildebeest and impalas. The above described behaviour applies equally to the foals of the other animals – and outside the park we all have been bottle-feeding young Impalas and Wildebeest, who had been kicked by Zebras and survived the attack…
The photo was taken through the open car window, and you can see the family photo in the Workshop.
P.S.: This animal as well as his family (photo in the workshop) is Burchell's Zebra - Equus burchelli - compared with Mountain Zebras, the body stripes are broader and most individuals have a yellowish or grayish shadow stripe on the white between the black stripes on the rump; it's getting a bit more complicated, when compared with Cape Mountain and Hartmann's Mountain Zebra. I am so sure, it is Burchell's Zebra, because the others are not in our area!(ha,ha) |
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