Zebra is a majestic wild animal. Most of its symbolism comes from Africa. Zebra has a deep meaning in shamanism, African tribal traditions, psychological sciences and many other religions. Even today it is used to denote the symbolic meaning of it. So, for what does it stand? A zebra animal symbol represents community, freedom, balance, and individualism. Why does it stand for them? For that, it is rather important to delve into a more meaningful discussion about why zebra stands for these characteristics. Otherwise, it would amount to nothing more than superstitions and myths made up by our ignorant ancestors.

Zebra crossing goes back several decades. It was born on the 31st of October, 1951 in Slough, Berkshire in England. The increase in traffic on British roads meant that fatalities from accidents were high. One of the reasons for the high road incidents was that the pedestrians were not familiar with cars. The other reason was that in those days, street crossings had metal studs that were easy to spot for the pedestrians but not so much for the motorists. The accidents warranted a need for safer ways to cross the roads. Hence, a more visible pedestrian crossing was needed.

30th and 31st January 2016 saw the carrying out of a herculean initiative. For the first time Kenya undertook a citizen science-based census of Grevy’s zebras, a beautiful and endangered species found nowhere else in the world. The Great Grevy’s Rally was its name. The Laikipia Wildlife Forum and the Grevy’s Zebra Trust spearheaded it. The main collaborators were Lewa, The Kenya Wildlife Service, Northern Rangelands Trust and community conservancies, Marwell Wildlife, county governments of Laikipia, Princeton University, and the Isiolo, Marsabit, and Meru counties. On the 3rd September 2016 at the Great Grevy’s Ball in Nanyuki the results were

Plains zebra are not a threatened or endangered species. Red List classifies it as a species of Least Concern, or Near Threatened with the most stable population. They are widespread. Their numbers probably exceed 750,000. There are an estimated 150,000 Plains zebras on the Serengeti-Mara Plains alone. But there are far fewer of them today than there once were. Tanzania has seen a 20% decline of Plains zebra in a decade. Measures are necessary to guard against the possibility of further reductions. Plains zebras are susceptible to hunting for their meat and hides as well as habitat loss from farming.

People often wonder how Grevy’s zebra got its name. In 1882, the then Emperor of Abyssinia considered it so regal that he presented one to the President of France whose name was Jules Grevy. That led to the coining of the word Grevy’s zebra. There are several theories as to the function of their streaks. According to a school of thought, its equine ancestor was striped, but they lost it during the evolution of horses and asses. Charles Darwin opined that stripes are used as a camouflage to keep them safe from predators. But that theory has recently been refuted.

The skin of Grevy’s zebra fetched a high price. Hence they used to be killed for their skins. Today Grevy’s zebra belongs to the endangered species. Therefore their long-term survival is moot. The wildlife authorities have taken the matter into their hands. They have taken some serious conservation initiatives. These actions have improved the status of Grevy’s zebras. However, there still face challenges. Laikipia and Borana are the names of two game parks in Kenya. They are home to the largest Grevy’s zebras. So let us take a visit to these parks and see how the Grevy’s zebras are faring.

Zebra stripes stand out among other African grazers. Their black and white stripes seem so out of place in the bush, in particular against a plain savanna background. So why have stripes at all when that would make them conspicuous and exposed to the ubiquitous predators? The zebra stripes remain a mystery to science even today. Zoologists have yet to unravel the mysteries behind its signature-striped suit. Scientists are not sure why zebras have not blended in with the browns and reds or why they have stripes. There are many theories and counter-theories to this riddle of zebra stripes.