Member-only story
TRAVEL/AFRICA/ANIMALS
I Thought God Must Have Had an off Day When He Created Zebras
Their stripes seemed to make them easy prey on the African savannah
I just returned from going on several game drives in Kenya, Africa.
The African savanna is full of beautiful earthy colors. And most animals have those same colors in their skin, fur, and coats and blend into the surroundings.
Vicious predators are roaming the vast grounds, and camouflage is a lifesaver for antelope, wildebeest, and warthogs, to name a few.
The greatest and most feared predators are lions and hyenas.
The black and white striped zebra did not blend in at all!
Or so I thought.
According to Jana J Lee for Science Now (2012) Their striped coats offer protection as they blend with their savannah environment, moderately disguised among tall savannah grasses. Apart from blending with their environment, decades of observations have revealed another major significance.
The striped pattern is a greater camouflage factor than the color blending.
