ZEBRAS

 Zebras are African species in a horse family, there are black with white stripped coats. The zebra’s stripes have different patterns that are very unique to each individual. Zebras are social animals that live in small harems to a large herds unlike the closest relatives are the donkeys and horses, zebras have always domesticated.

There three main species of Zebras including the plain zebras, Mountain zebras and Gravy’s zebras. Zebras and mountain zebras belong to the Hippotigris; the gravy’s zebras are the sole species of subgenus Dolichohippus. Zebras are closely related to an ass, while the former two look more horse like.

The unique strips of zebras make one of the animals is familiar to people. They occur in a variety of habitats, such as savannas, grasslands, woodlands, mountains, coastal hills and scrublands. However, zebras populations. However mountain zebras and Gravy’s zebras face habitat destruction, hunting for the skin. While the plains zebras are much plentiful, have become more extinct in the late 19th century, thou currently there is a plan that aims at breeding zebras and it’s called the breeding back.

The word Zebra comes from a Latin word which means wild horse from equus which means (horse) and ferus (wild).the word the word is traditionally announced with a long vowel and a short pronousation of vowel.

The plains zebras are one of the most common zebras that have about six subspecies distributed across the eastern and southern Africa. Zebras in southwest Africa they have sleek coat with a white belly and very narrower stripes than the plain zebras it’s classified as vulnerable.

Grevys zebras are the largest type, with a narrow head which is long and makes it appear mule-like; it inhabits the areas of Ethiopia and Kenya, although the Gravy’s zebras are classified as endangered species.

Zebras have overlapping rages; they do not interbreed, although the plain zebras have been cross breed with mountain zebras.

The foals resembled the plains zebras apart from their larger ears and hindquarters pattern. The cross breeding of Gravy’s zebra stallion to mountain zebras mares resulted into a high rate of miscarriage.

The size and height of zebras, is about 51 at the shoulder with the body ranging from 6.6ft and 8.5ft with 20in tall. The plain zebra weighs up to 770 lb for the males being bigger than females. Gravy’s zebras are considered to be larger, while the mountain Zebras are smaller than the other.

Gaits

Zebras have four Gaits the trot, canter, walk and gallop. Zebras are known to be slower than horses, although their stamina helps them to outrun the predators in order not to be attacked. Incase their corned zebras will kick or bite its attacker.

Senses

Zebras have excellent eyesight, ungulates, zebras eyes are on the sides of its head, which helps it to have a wide field view of zebras have a night vision, although it’s not more advanced as their predators.

Zebras have excellent hearing senses that have round ears than horses. In addition eyesight, sense of smell and taste.

Diseases

Zebras have many common infections and disease of domestic horse

Parasites include

Lice

Mange

Ticks

Pneumonia

Acute heart lesions due to stress

Roundworms of the lungs.

The groups of zebras is called a Harem belonging to the horse family, zebras are highly social. They have social structure, however this depends on different species among plain zebras and mountain zebras, their known as harems a male zebra is called stallion while a female is called a mare and a young one of a zebra is called a foal.

A group consists of one stallion, six mares and their foals. Males tend to either live alone or with same group of males until their old enough to challenge a breeding stallion.when their attacked by predators zebras the foals come in the middle while the stallion helps toward them off.

Gravy’s zebras do not have permanent social bonds. This group of zebras rarely stays together for than a few months. The foals stay with their mothers while adults male live alone. Zebras sleep standing up and they only sleep near other members who warn them about predators.

Communication

Zebras communicate with each other with whinnying and high-pitched barks. Gravy’s zebras always make Mulelike brays. Zebras signify ears when its mood, a zebra is very calm, friendly, its ears stand and erect, when its frightened its ears are pushed forward, when angry the ears are pulled backwards. In case of predators zebras alert by posturing their erected ears, their head held high, staring, when zebras sense danger they bark loudly.

Food and foraging

Zebras feed on grasses; although they occasionally feed on herbs, eat shrubs, twigs, barks and leaves. Their digestive system allows them to subsist on diets of lower nutritional.
Reproduction

Female zebras mature earlier than the male zebras; a mare may have her first foal by the age of three years while males are not able to breed until the age of six years. Females give birth every after twelve months to one foal.

 The female is able to nurse the foal for a period of one year just like horses the foals are able to stand walk and suckle shortly after birth. A foal is white and browns not the white and black at birth.

Plains and mountain zebra foals are protected by their mothers. The head stallion and other mares in their group. Gravy’s zebra foals have their mother as the protects.

Life span                                                                       

Zebras that freely roam in nature have approximate lifespan of 20 to 30 years .They live longer in captive environments such as zoos; they often live for 40years.

Note: In Uganda we have the Burchell zebras.

Zebras, Burchell zebras are found in two national parks. In kidepo National park in the Northeast karamoja and lake Mburo National park in western Uganda  one of the closet national park to Kampala the capital city of Uganda and the nearest to all national parks in the western region.

On your way to Bwindi impenetrable national for Gorilla trekking you can decide to spend a night in the park at Lake Mburo National park to spot out the zebras.

Find the Burchell or plain zebras living in small groups along other herds in Lake Mburo and Kidepo Valley Park in Uganda. There strips are like fingerprints this makes all zebras not to look alike.

The camouflaged strips help them to safe guard them away from predators giving it a hard time for predators such as lions not to distinguish one particular zebra. The strips also help to keep the insects away this may also help them to recognize others.

The zebra has a very unique coat which makes it look different from all the other animals. This is a beautiful sight to spot out the zebras as they graze on grass and groom each other in a group of herd.

 Zebras give you a worthy trip to encounter as you visit Lake Mburo National park which is a great stopover on your way to the national parks in the western parts of Uganda and back to Kampala from your great and amazing trip.

The zebras also give you an opportunity to experience a one-day min safari where you will be able to spot zebra in Lake Mburo.

Book with Dina Tours and Travel for your great encounter with the Burchelle Zebras.

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