In honor of World Wildlife Day, we are going to chat about stripey horses, aka zebras. I am going to tell you a funny story about how Kenny almost got eaten by a zebra, then I will share some fun zebra facts with you. Finally, we are going to learn some ways we can help this “near threated” to “endangered” species thrive yet again.
The One Where Kenny Almost Got Eaten By A Zebra
Last summer, Kenny and took a trip to a petting zoo. Upon entry, we were given a pamphlet on what animals we could and could not interact with. So, we were in a line of cars that was moving right along. Kenny was driving and I was reading and I was super excited to see the animals so I may have not let the pamphlet information soak in properly. I was excited! Animals! And when I reach that “I’m going to see an animal!!!” level of excitement, I simply can not be trusted to carry out daily tasks.
As it turns out, some animals have EITHER upper or lower chompers and some, liked zebras, have both. Kenny learned that the hard way when, all of a sudden, a beautiful zebra that Kenny was feeding just chomped on his fingers. It happened so quickly and was over after a couple of chomps but I bet it felt like an eternity to Kenny. He was like “Ahhhhh!” and then it was over. I looked at the pamphlet and sure enough it said not to feed the zebras. So, needless to say, we did not feed anymore zebras.
Now Kenny and I get a good laugh whenever we think about this story. And zebras are still the animals he seems to get most excited about when we go to zoos. He always wants to see them and take pictures of them. And, as it turns out, men telling their tall tale fishing stories also applies to giraffes. Now when he regales me with the horrors [*gasp*] of the zebra “almost tearing his arm off” [*fake faint*] we get a giggle. I can’t wait until the story builds to the point that the zebra almost got his head, too!
It’s easy not to get bitten by a zebra if you don’t give it a chance to bite you. It’s not like it’s just going to attack you. They are actually really friendly. But Kenny had food in his hand and offered it to the zebra. So, the zebra took it. Nature. Learn from our foolishness. Read directions and follow them. And if you ever go to a petting zoo, don’t feed the zebra. Simple. Just admire this gorgeous animal from a safe distance.
Meet Nature’s Stripey Horses
Grevy’s Zebras‘ teeth are well adapted for grazing [on fingers]. They use their upper and lower incisors to clip vegetation [fingers] and high-crowned, ridged molars for grinding [fingers]. All of their teeth are elongated and covered with thick enamel to allow them to chew tough, abrasive grass [also fingers] constantly. Males have four more teeth than females: short, pointed canines used for fighting. [I wonder if Kenny got bit by a male or a female zebra?] Grevy’s zebras feed mainly on grasses but they will also consume bark, fruit and leaves. [Not fingers, that Zebra spit them back out fast – I think I heard it say “no thanks, sir.”]
Native to Africa, there are many species of zebras, ranging from “near threatened” to “endangered” status. Zebras are not carnivores. As stated earlier, their diet it mostly grass, some fruits and Plains Zebras can even eat small trees. They face habitat loss as well as being over hunted for both their meat and coats. Think you walk a lot? [“I would have walked 500 miles…”] Try again. Some zebras walk about 1,800 miles a year. They also live in harems with one stallion, several mares and their offspring. If you want to help in the conservation effort of these beautiful creatures, you can make a donation to the African Wildlife Foundation here.
What Is Your Favorite Thing About Zebras?
