The animal of the day is my second favorite (next to the Thomson’s Gazelle) animal in the world, Zebras (Or as I like to refer to them as, Tiger Horses).
Zebras, I believe, are some of the most splendid creatures in existence. I think they are absolutely gorgeous with their striped patterns and strong, yet swift and agile, bodies. Furthermore, I love their vociferous nature. 
They are very social animals (being that they are herd animals), and each Zebra has his or her own unique personality.
Did you know that every Zebra’s stripes are as distinct as human fingerprints? This is a necessity, particularly for the young. Zebra colts have to memorize their mother’s specific stripe pattern (a process called “imprinting”) in order to survive. Zebra mares have no adoption system and therefore lost colts may starve, or fall to predation, if they cannot recognize their mother.
With the exception of lions adult Zebras don’t have any major predators. Zebra colts are the most vulnerable to: big cats, Wild Dogs, and Hyenas. However, in the majority of cases adult Zebra males come to their defense. Furthermore, in spite of their enormous size (Burchell’s or plains Zebras can weigh between eight or nine hundred pounds…With Grevy’s Zebras being even larger) Zebras are extraordinarily fast, capable of maintaining flight speeds in excess of 40 mph.
Did you also know that Zebra males have phallus over 18 inches long? Just thought you all would like to know.
Did you also know that Zebras can kick ten times harder than a normal horse. So, whatever you do don’t piss one off…
Anyway, not only do I love Zebras from a purely aesthetic standpoint but I also respect them. They are so brave. Zebras will literally go to war with predators for their survival. And the kinship bonds between family groups of Zebras is endearing. They really are great.
Cheers!
