The Color of Zebras

I never get tired of photographing zebras because of the stripped effect in the single animal or the patterns created when in groups. No two zebras are alike, when one look at a group of adult female impalas, they have the same color pattern and telling one from the other is almost impossible.

Why are they stripped? The story is that it camouflage that make them hard to be seen by predators in the tall grasslands. Lions are color blind so the pattern that they will see may blend with such background. I am sure that to other zebras, the stripes are just like the bar codes, to identify who they are.

Zebras are always nervous and react to the smallest movement or noise and in unison run away. If they were humans, all would be in Valium or other type of tranquilizer, the stress of being prey must be immense.

The story goes that zebras and wildebeests (also know as Gnus) migrate together for protection. Allegedly, the former have very keen eyesight and the later excellent hearing, so if one fails to see the predator, the other can hear them. Others stipulate that one has better noses than the other to pick the predators scents. I do not think these stories are fact. Regardless, they both end up as meals for lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles. These animals are too big for cheetahs although they can easily take down young ones.

Observing zebra groups is very interesting and it does not take long to realize that there is a leader. He is always looking after the group and moving around making sure that they stay together. The leader have 2 or 3 assistants to keep his harem together and these can be seen in the middle or trailing at the end making sure that none stays behind. When group members stray, the leader starts barking and if not obeyed, he chases the offender back into the group. But when there is a predator a chase, his bravado stops and he runs for his “wild ass.”

Young males spend lots of time measuring each other strengths by having chases and battles where they bite and kick each other. These practices will serve them well when
fighting for dominance over a harem. The kicks are very powerful and are a main defense against predators; if a lion gets kicked in the face and the jaw is broken, his hunting days are over.

Large Cats of the Masai Mara

The main reason I went to the Masai Mara in August of 2009 was for the migration of the herds crossing the Mara River in Kenya. Due to the devastating drought that I discussed in a previous blog, the massive migration of thousands of animals did not happen this year. Instead the animals starting arriving in early June resulting in infrequent small crossings; see an example above.

In the past at the peak of the migration, this fields would have been covered with large numbers of wildebeest and zebras moving in unison towards the Mara River. The herds would congregate at the edge of the river, hesitate, and all of the sudden jump into the river where crocodiles were waiting for their meals. I was not able to photograph what I call the "Greatest Nature's Show on Earth" this year.

But the predators were there as always waiting for the arrival of the herds. Lions are at the top of the food chain in the Masai Mara/Serengeti ecosystem in East Africa ( Kenya and Tanzania).

I have observed these cats sitting in rocks and hills scanning the horizon for the arrival of the herds.

In May of 2007 I was in the Western Serengeti near the Retima River (Tanzania) awaiting for the arrival of the herds. It was amazing to watch the lions sitting on top of the Kopjes scanning the horizon. As soon as they saw the arriving animals, they would climb down off the rocks and head for the herds to get their meals. A whole pride including cubs would move together.

As is well known, these cats work in teams and the females are usually the ones who lead the hunting parties. For what I have observed in the past, there seems to be female leader who starts the hunt and will instigate the others into following her to the hunt. These are elaborate and include the setting of traps. Some of the cats will hide in strategic locations and the others will drive the prey in their direction. I have also witnessed what I call relays where one cat will start a chase and direct the prey into others that have previously positioned themselves.

Not all chases are successful and when this happens, the cubs left behind, usually with an adult nanny for protection , will reunite with the hunting party and are greeted by their moms with licking and rubbing of faces.

Lions spent most of the time sleeping and looking after the cubs who frequently interrupt the adults sleep. Most prides have an adult male that service and protect the females and his cubs from other males that would try to take over the family. He usually is not active in the hunts but is the first to the banquet. Other adult male lions live solitary lives or with brothers. But when it comes to taking over a pride or mating, all brotherhood sharing is forgotten.

The leopard is the major trophy of any safari due to their shyness an difficulty in photographing. This is the only one I got to photograph but able to get great images; he stayed in the tree all the time. He had killed an impala early in the morning and the carcass was hanging from a nearby tree. In 2007 while in the Serengeti I got to see 11 leopards--very unusual--but I was not able to approach them due to park rules that does not allow for of-the-road-traffic.

And finally the cheetahs, the fastest cats. I did see a chase this year but it happened so fast that I missed photographing it. These two were resting after having a morning meal. They mostly chased impalas and Thompson gazelles babies and were not always successful.