- Burchell’s zebra is the most common one. There are about 300,000 of them living wild in Africa.
- There are also Grevy’s zebra living in Africa, although there are not as many of them as Burchell’s zebra. It is taller and heavier than Burchell’s zebra. It has big round furry ears and long legs. The biggest difference between the Grevy’s zebra and Burchell’s is in the stripes. The stripes on Grevy’s zebra are much closer. This makes it harder for lions to see them in the long grass. Lions eat zebras when they can catch them. Zebras eat grass. The herd moves from place to place to find more grass.
- A little bird, called a fork-tailed drongo, often travels with them. It sits on the zebra’s back and eats the insects which are kicked up by its hooves.
- Zebras drink at water-holes. Zebras need to have a long drink once a day. They like to stand in the water too.
- Dust can be useful too. When a zebra has an itchy back, it lies down and has a good roll. Zebras also help each other with itches. They nibble along their backs to get rid of insects.
- Sometimes they are not so friendly. Young males live together in groups until they start a herd of their own. When their is a young female around, the stallions will bite and kick one another. But they don’t fight to the death. When one has had enough, he lowers his head and trots away.
- Most of the time zebras get along well together. They also get along well with other animals. They can be seen drinking along side a kudu or a giraffe at a water hole.
- Unlike horses, zebras cannot be trained and tamed by people. People used to hunt them for their skins. Now we try to look after them.
Zebra Facts
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