Zebra - The wild horse of Africa

Zebra - The wild horse of Africa

Thousands of zebras are seen running in the grasslands of Africa. When running, their striped sides turn up and down, and Ayala's hair also sways in the same rhythm. The sound of their taps on the dry ground echoes through the ground. For many kilometers behind them, a red cloud of dust formed. They run aimlessly, without any restraint.

Suddenly they slow down and stop, as if someone had noticed. And with your strong, thick teeth you begin to grind dry grass. The flock is always alert, occasionally looking up, listening to the sound, smelling the air. The roar of a roaring lion in the distance is heard by the wind and they become stiff. This sound is well known to them. Holding the grass in their mouths as well as holding their ears high, they start looking in the direction from where the sound of moaning comes from. But as soon as they realize that there is no danger to them, they start eating grass again.

As the sun's heat rises, they move to another location. This time the wild horses are brought to a river by the smell of water. Standing on the bank of the hill, they stare at the slow brown stream of the river below, hovering on the ground. But no one dares to move forward; They are aware that the danger may lie beneath the calm surface of the river. But since they can't quench their thirst, they start pushing and shoving. Eventually, without looking back, they run to the river. After drinking water one by one, they turn around and return to the field.

In the evening their flocks walk slowly through the tall grass. Their black figures stand out in the twilight of the setting sun and the beauty of Africa's grasslands.

Leased and sociable

The daily life of zebras is the same. They do not live in one place because of the constant search for food and water. Zebras grazing in the open field look clean and plump; Their striped skin is stretched over their muscular body. The stripes on the zebra's body vary; These designs are never the same. The white and black stripes that appear on other animals in the field look strange. Still, they are beautiful to look at and the wilderness of Africa.

Zebras are extremely sociable animals. The inseparable bond between some animals lasts until death. Although there are thousands of animals in a large herd, the herd is made up of small families consisting of one male and one female. Every family has a fixed place for each member. A leading female decides where the family should go. She is in front of everyone, behind her the other females and their horns are moving in the same line as everyone's position. But, in the end, the male has control over them all. If he wants the family to change direction, he goes to the female and shows her a new direction.

Zebras love to clean each other; They have a habit of rubbing each other's limbs, biting each other's sides, shoulders and backs. Cleaning each other in this way strengthens the bond between them and this method starts from the time the horns are a few days old. But if there is no one in the family to gnaw on, itching zebras find peace of mind by rolling on the ground or rubbing their limbs on trees, sand dunes, or any other stationary object.

Struggle to survive

The life of a zebra is not free from danger. Lions, wild dogs, hyenas, leopards, and crocodiles all weigh on this 250 kg animal. The zebra can run at a speed of 55 kilometers per hour, but sometimes it is suddenly caught by predators. Lions are trapped, crocodiles are hiding in muddy water, and leopards take advantage of the darkness of night.

Their resistance depends on the vigilance of the flock and the collective movement of all. Most zebras sleep at night, but some stay awake and watch the sound. As soon as the zebra sees the predator, he immediately warns the others in the herd. If one member of the family cannot stay with the flock due to illness or old age, the other members of the herd walk slowly until the disabled member recovers. When in danger, the male fearlessly comes between the predator and the female, bites and kicks the enemy, and in the meantime the herd has time to escape.

Such unity in the family can be traced back to an event observed by nature expert Huko van Lavik at the Serengeti Plain in Africa. He said some wild dogs started chasing a herd and managed to separate a female, her antlers and a one-year-old pup from the herd. After all the others in the herd had fled, the female and the one-year-old pup began to fight the dogs. But when the dogs chewed too much, the female and the one-year-old pup became tired. Their end seemed certain. Van Lavic recalls: “Suddenly the ground shook, and I looked back and saw ten zebras running fast. In an instant they surrounded the female and her two horns, then they all turned back and they started running in the direction where the ten zebras had come from; Everyone was running close to each other. The dogs were chasing them for about 50 meters, but they could not get into the herd, and they soon gave up. ”

Family rearing

The female zebra is very protective of her newborn antlers, and in the beginning she keeps her antlers separate from others in the herd. During this time the puppy develops a close relationship with its mother. The puppy is known for its mother's distinctive black-and-white striped design. The puppy then recognizes its mother's call, smell, and striped structure and does not accept any other female.

The stripes on the puppies are not as black and white as their parents. Their stripes are slightly brown and turn black with age. In a large herd, horns from different families play together. They kick, chase each other, run into adults, and sometimes even adults join their sport. These slender-legged chicks chase birds or other small animals. With long, slender legs, big black eyes and a bright soft love, these chicks look very goofy and are a lot of fun to look at.

Wild and beautiful

Today, large herds of zebras can still be seen roaming the vast golden meadows of Africa. It is an eye-catching sight.

There is no doubt that zebras, with their unique black-and-white stripes, are loyal to the family, wild and easygoing, and are intelligent and handsome creatures.

Why do zebras have stripes on their bodies?

Those who believe in evolution cannot explain zebra stripes. Some feel that this is a warning to other predators. However, it is clear that lions and other large predators are not afraid of these stripes at all.

Others think that these stripes cause sexual attraction. But, since all zebras have stripes and there is no difference between male stripes or female stripes, this does not seem likely.

Another hypothesis is that the black-and-white stripes may have evolved to reduce the heat of the African sun. But then why aren't these stripes on other animals?

Another idea is that the stripes on the zebra evolved to blend into the area. Scientists have discovered that rising temperatures across the plains of Africa obscure the shape of zebras, making it difficult to see a zebra from a distance. However, it is of little use to mingle in the area from a distance because the main enemies of the zebras, the lions, attack them from close range.

It is also claimed that when a herd of zebras runs away out of fear, the leashed structure of the zebras confuses the hunting lions and makes it difficult for them to keep an eye on any one animal. But, in fact, wildlife studies have shown that lions are as successful in hunting zebras as they are in hunting other animals.

Conversely, the confusing reality is that, sometimes, zebra stripes can cause harm. At night, zebras appear faster than other animals of the same color due to the formation of black-and-white stripes on the body in the moonlight on the ground. And since lions usually hunt at night, this is a loss for zebras.

So, why are there such stripes on the zebra's body? The answer is found in this simple sentence: “By the hand of Jehovah it has happened.” (Job 12: 9) Yes, the Creator has endowed earthly creatures with special qualities and attributes that are useful for life, but humans may not fully understand its reasons. There is another purpose to the wonderful creation of animals. Seeing that, human beings get happiness, happiness, satisfaction. Moreover, seeing the beauty of creation, many today feel the same way David felt many years ago: “O Jehovah, how your works are different! You did it all wisely; The earth is filled with your abundance. ”- Psalm 104: 24.