Zebras at the waterhole. Zebras are very striking animals and often overlooked on safari as the focus can be on the big predators or more rare species. Getting up close with these impressive animals in the hides of Zimanga, South Africa was a treat.
The purpose of their distinctive stripes has been debated among biologists since the time of Wallace and Darwin. Some think that the stripes act as camouflage, others that they confuse predators whilst some think they have a social function in recognition and bonding,. Some think stripes might help with thermoregulation. It seems that most of the evidence points to stripes acting as a deterrent for biting flies. It appears that flies prefer to land on solidly coloiured surfaces.