Did you know that the zebra is actually a kind of horse? It is one of the few wild horses left in the world today.

All horses, both domestic and wild belong to the animal group, or genus, known as Equus.

Zebras are shorter than most other horses, and they have smaller hooves. Their manes are stiff, their ears are large, and some of them bark! Most important, only zebras have stripes. Even their manes are striped!

Hunting style

Zebras do not hunt; instead they are hunted.

Most live on open grasslands, where there are few places to hide from predators. To stay alive, zebras must be able to make quick getaways when a predator creeps up. The legs of zebras are very long, so when they run they can take big strides. And they have strong muscles and large lungs so they can keep running for long distances without tiring or slowing down. When running from predators, zebras can gallop 35 miles an hour or more.

Favourite food

Zebras are grazing animals. Their favourite food is grass. But if necessary, they will eat shrubs, leaves, fruit, roots, and even bark. Since this type of food is low in nutritional value, zebras must eat a lot of it to get the nourishment they need. For this reason, zebras spend many hours each day grazing. Usually they graze in the morning and late evening. At midday, they rest in the shade standing together in a close group. When all the grass in one area has been eaten, they move on to new pastures.

Baby zebras

When a foal, or a baby zebra, is very young, its mother will chase away any other zebras that come near — even the leader of the herd. When the foal grows older, it joins the herd and plays with other young zebras.

By running fast and pushing and shoving each other in play fights, foals develop speed and strength. Baby zebras must be able to run soon after birth, or they would become easy prey for predators. Their long legs help them keep up if the herd takes off running, and the herd offers them protection within the mass of bodies.

Foals always stay close to their mothers, but other zebras will watch over them, too, if necessary.

Their home

In Africa, where all zebras live, thundering herds of these magnificent animals roam freely over the vast plains. Zebras love the grasslands because of the abundant food found there — and because open plains provide them with an unobstructed lookout for predators — and plenty of space in which to run away at a top speed.

Two species of zebra have gone extinct since colonists began coming to Africa in great numbers.

Today, the Cape mountain zebra and the Hartmann mountain zebra are seriously endangered, but great efforts are being made to save them at the Mountain Zebra National Park in South Africa.

Happily, the plains zebras are thriving in many of Africa’s national parks, living alongside antelopes, buffalos, elephants, and rhinos — as they once did throughout the grasslands of Africa.