One of the most fascinating animals that I have ever seen is the Zebra. My first sighting of this magnificent animal was when we went to the Tarangire National Park.
Zebras, with their black and white stripes, are very easy to spot. The stripes on them is much like the human finger print. Each one is unique. When a foal is born, it has reddish-brown stripes which eventually become darker and turn to black as they grow older.
Ironically, it is these stripes that help them camouflage from predators like lion as lions are colour blind and only see a herd of Zebras as a big stretch of black and white and get confused. Btw, a group of Zebras is also called a Dazzle of Zebras.
Many a times, the zebras can be observed in a huddle wherein one zebra can be seen resting its head on the back of another zebra while both are facing opposite directions. This is done for resting purposes. Also, facing opposite directions helps them keep a watch for predators from different directions.
Zebras belong to the family of horses and donkeys and are herbivores. They can fall asleep standing up as they have locking joints, they don’t have to worry about falling over, and it ensures they can escape quickly if predators are about. They do need to lie down to enjoy a deep sleep.
Another interesting fact about Zebras is that when a baby is born, it can stand up after 6 minutes of being born.
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