Why zebra refused to be saddled with domesticity (2024)
In many ways, zebra appear very like horses (or ponies, given their size). Yet underlying differences in behaviour have meant that while horses and donkeys have been successfully domesticated, the zebra remains predominantly wild. So how did the zebra avoid the load bearing, farm working, fence jumping fate of its cousins? And which animal ended up with the better deal?
Because of their obvious similarity to horses – and for novelty value – attempts have been made by humans to ride and race zebra. The 2005 movie, Racing Stripes, was the story of a young zebra who wanted to compete in horse races – although the filmmakers were forced to use a horse stand-in for some scenes (the tail gives it away).
The manes and tails of zebra are in fact more similar to those of asses (donkeys) and reflect the evolutionary history of the genus Equus. Although horses, assess and zebra all evolved from a common ancestor (Hyracotherium) which lived in Europe and North America around 55m years ago, divergence meant that the zebra and donkey are more closely related to each other than either is to the horse.
The North American equids (members of the horse family) disappeared about 8-10,000 years ago, and in Europe and Asia, Palaeolithic man extensively hunted the herds of wild horses on the open plains. A combination of climatic change, forestation and human predation pushed the animals eastwards to the semi-deserts of central Asia.
Horses were initially kept as a food animal, but their full potential as a means of transport, communication and warfare resulted in them being of increasing importance in the development of human civilisation. In Mongolia, the land of the horse, the legendary 13th-century warlord Genghis Khan used the animal to establish a domain that extended from Hungary to Korea, and from Siberia to Tibet: an Asian empire won on horseback.
So, if horses were so important to human civilisation, why not the zebra? Humans originated in Africa so it seems strange that they missed exploiting such a potentially useful animal living on the same continent.
Unlike the Equids of Eurasia, however, the zebra population of Africa was relatively secure and particularly well adapted to its environment. All equids are herbivorous prey species with a well developed “flight or fight” response. But to survive in an environment where there is an abundance of large predators including lions, cheetahs and hyenas, the zebra evolved into a particularly alert, responsive animal that flees in the face of danger but also possesses a powerful response if captured.
The kick of a zebra can break a lion’s jaw. They can be savage biters and possess a “ducking” reflex that helps them avoid being caught by lasso. Familiarity with human hunter gatherers may also have fostered a strong avoidance response in the zebra.
All of this means that zebra are not really “people friendly” and as a species they do not fit the criteria for domestication. According to the English explorer and polymath Francis Galton (a relative of Charles Darwin), these requirements include displaying a desire for comfort, being easy to tend, being useful and showing a fondness for man.
Galton uses the zebra as an example of an unmanageable species, stating that the Dutch Boers repeatedly tried to break zebra to harness. Although they had some success, the wild, mulish nature of the animals would frequently break out and thwart their efforts.
Although it appears possible to tame individual zebra, this species was not a good candidate for domestication. In addition to the intractable nature of the zebra and its strong survival instinct, the fact that this species is “lion fodder” may also have made them appear less attractive “partners” to early humans.
Domestication and selective breeding will undoubtedly have changed both the physical and behavioural characteristics of the horse, which during the early stages would probably have been smaller, wilder and more similar to the zebra than today’s horse.
And while horses may work harder, live in more urbanised environments and do the bidding of their owners, they also lead safer, more comfortable lives. Domestication saved the horse from extinction. In fact, as a survival strategy, domestication has certainly worked for the global horse population, which numbers 60m.
By contrast, zebra numbers are probably now fewer than 800,000, with humans posing the greatest threat to their survival. Faced with these facts, which would you rather be?
They're very hostile and very aggressive, that means you can't domesticate them easily. They have a ducking reflex which makes them very hard to lasso in the first place. They have no family structure and no hierarchy (horses have herds and even a structured order)
A few zebras have accepted a rider or pulled a cart, but zebras have never been truly domesticated — and for good reason: They can be aggressive, panicky and unpredictable, making them difficult to halter and saddle train.
During the colonial era, some adventurous Europeans tried to harness this African horse. Lord Rothschild famously drove a zebra-drawn carriage through the streets of Victorian London. Yet these creatures were never truly domesticated — they were never bred and sustained explicitly under human control.
Zebras have very volatile temperaments, unlike horses. Horses have very few, if any natural predators, while Zebras have to contend with lions, rhinos, hippos, etc. As a result, they won't let any decently sized creature, like a human, near them.
Equus (/ˈɛkwəs, ˈiːkwəs/) is a genus of mammals in the family Equidae, which includes horses, asses, and zebras. Within the Equidae, Equus is the only recognized extant genus, comprising seven living species.
Plus, there's another guy named Bill Turner who's been known to ride his zebra around Dorset. Apparently, it's back is stronger than usual which allows it to comfortably saddle a human. So, as pretty as you may think zebras are, unfortunately they are not pretty inside.
The biggest threat to zebra populations are habitat loss – from ranching and farming and competition for water with livestock. Drought is also a major cause behind the loss of the Grevy's Zebra as climate change continues to exacerbate drought on already degraded land.
Zebra stripes are unique to each individual. Male zebra are called stallions, females are called mares and their offspring are called foals. All zebra have excellent hearing and eyesight and can run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
However, zebras are no more horses than donkeys are. While zebras, donkeys and horses, all belong to the equine species, they each have distinct characteristics of their own. Zebras and donkeys are more closely related to each other than they are to horses.
A zorse is the offspring of a zebra stallion and a horse mare. This cross is also called a zebrose, zebrula, zebrule, or zebra mule. The rarer reverse pairing is sometimes called a hebra, horsebra, zebrinny, or zebra hinny. Like most other animal hybrids, the zorse is sterile.
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky is an informative book that explores the effects of stress on the human body and provides insights into managing stress effectively. The book is filled with scientific research and anecdotes that help readers understand stress and its impact.
Zebras also have very different temperaments to horses. They're far more aggressive and a lot more dangerous. Zebras have been known to kick each other to death, they will viciously bite any human that comes too close, and there are even many accounts of zebras killing lions.
Individual zebras are sometimes trainable. However, the majority of zebras are actually too small to ride. This is of course exacerbated by the fact that they haven't been selectively bred to be ridden. We've made our horses ridable.
And the three zebras are the Grevy's zebra, the mountain zebra, and the plains Zebra. their top speed of 50 miles an hour. That is 10 miles faster than a horse, but a horse can still run as fast as a car. Well as you can see there are many ways how zebras and horses and alike and different.
Yes, zebras can be dangerous to humans. While they may appear docile, they have been known to exhibit aggressive behaviors, such as biting and kicking, especially when they feel threatened or cornered.
So, why the stripes? They serve as a kind of protection from predators! When zebras are grouped together, their combined stripes make it hard for a lion or leopard to pick out one zebra to chase.
The title derives from Sapolsky's premise that for animals such as zebras, stress is generally episodic (e.g., running away from a lion), while for humans, stress is often chronic (e.g., worrying about losing one's job).
It's a constant battle to survive on the safaris. Not only do they need to be accompanied to catch a quick nap, but zebras also sleep while standing. You know, in case they have to escape immediately. It's all part of their defense mechanism to stay alert.
As others have mentioned they typically bully around smaller animals. At fossil rim they highly recommend you don't hand feed any animal but giraffes, but specifically recommend you don't hand feed the zebras because they bite a lot.
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