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Plains Zebra
Africa's striped wild horse — every animal's black-and-white pattern is unique, and no two are ever exactly alike.
How to spot it
A stocky wild horse boldly striped in black and white, the stripes broad on the body and often shadowed with fainter brown "shadow" stripes. Like a fingerprint, no two zebras carry the same pattern.
Where it lives
The grasslands and savannas of eastern and southern Africa, often in large herds and famously part of the great Serengeti migration, moving with the rains in search of fresh grass.
What it eats
A grazer that lives mainly on grass, able to cope with tougher, taller growth than many antelope. Herds often mix with wildebeest and other grazers, gaining safety in numbers.
Behaviour & life
Lives in family groups of a stallion, several mares and their foals. The stripes may confuse predators and biting flies and help the herd stay together. Zebras are strong runners and defend themselves with a powerful kick.
Conservation
The plains zebra is classed as Near Threatened — still widespread but declining as grassland is fenced and hunted. In India it is seen only in zoos and safari parks.
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