Imagine being on a safari tour in Africa. You’re seeing elephants and crocodiles. Then you see a zebra standing around. A leopard comes up behind. You worry and feel sorry for the zebra. Then all of a sudden, the zebra kicks with its back legs and kills the leopard.
Zebras, commonly found in Africa, are amazing creatures. They run very fast. Like giraffes they have to be able to run fast to escape from lions and other predators. Zebras are a lot tougher than they look.
Zebras need to protect themselves from danger at all times. They constantly have their heads turned looking for lions and leopards. When zebras do have to fight, they use their back legs. A zebra’s front legs are more delicate, and are less strong. With one back kick they can kill a leopard and leave it laying there for the vultures.
You are probably wondering how you would tell one zebra for another. It is actually quite simple. There are many species of zebra that look nothing like others. Unfortunately, there are only 2 living species left. The Hartmann’s mountain zebra has red on its nose and orange on its hairs. Like snowflakes, no zebras have the same stripes. Albino zebras of course would look different, but what if two of them were standing next to each other? Would you know the difference? Of course! By looking at the stripes on their tails, you can even tell an albino zebra from another. It’s easy to tell which zebra is which!
Like any living thing, zebras have to eat. They eat pretty much anything they find. They almost always have a stocked up kitchen of grass everywhere, but what would happen if they ran out? If they ran out, you would probably see them eating little bugs and dirt. Zebras need lots of water more than anything. That is when they get struck and attacked for their lives. Crocodiles are always waiting near the water. Being attacked by hidden crocodiles is mostly the only time the predator wins the war against a zebra.
Even though their lives are full of running and watching, they always have time for a snack! For them, a nice helping of grass serves for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Zebras are super cool!
