Here come the girls!
7th Sept 2017
Fun facts about zebra:
- Zebra are very fast. They can reach speeds of up to 65kmph, which is just fast enough to outpace predators such as lions. Young foals are on their feet and able to run with their herd within a few hours of birth.
- Like horses, zebra sleep standing up.
Zebedee our male Grants zebra has some exciting news he wants to share with you all! He has recently gained two new girlfriends!
The introduction was full of energy as the three zebra cantered around the field getting to know each other's scents and establishing a hierarchy.
Why so Stripey? A zebra’s stripes are thought to have serval purposes:
- They are great at keeping a zebra cool in the African sun as they can disperse more than 70 per cent of incoming heat.
- The stripes are also great camouflage in long grass, and can also confuse predators when a group of zebra are together.
- It has also recently been discovered that a zebra's stripes may even stop them from getting bitten by flies as the monochrome pattern seems to throw off the visual systems of flies.
- Each zebra's stripes are unique, acting as a fingerprint. Zebra will use the stripe pattern alongside scent and calls to tell each other apart.
Come and visit our beautiful girls, Polly and Nola, in the Africa section of Noah's Ark Zoo Farm. Let's see if you can tell who's who!