Namibia ZebrasThere are two types of Namibia zebras, the Burchell’s and Hartmann’s mountain zebras. Namibia Burchell’s Zebra
As Zebras are dependent on the food and water supply, they are either sedentary or migratory. Burchell’s Zebras are more dependent on water than any of the other plains game or Hartmann’s zebra and this limits their modern distribution to man-made water points within protected areas. They are non territorial and nomadic and as with Hartmann’s zebra their social organisation consists of mixed herd with a single stallion and his harem or bachelor herds. No two zebra’s stripes form the same pattern which helps to identify individuals within a herd. The stripes also function as a method to confuse predators during the hunt as it is difficult to identify an individual at speed with a confusing mass of black and while stripes bouncing up and down. The stripes also allow the herd to retain visual contact with each other during a hunt and allow them to stay bunched for protection when being chased in gloomy and dusty conditions. The stripes also provide thermal cooling. Best viewing areas is Etosha and Mount Etjo.
Namibia Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra
These animals can be distinguished from Burchell’s zebra by their larger size, a loose fold of skin hanging from the throat and large ears. They have white under parts as their stripes stop higher than those of the plains zebra. They have a distinctive gridiron stripe pattern on the rump which is absent from the Burchell’s zebra. They are dependent on water in an arid mountainous region where surface water in an arid mountainous region where surface water is scarce during the long dry season. Best viewing areas are the Eastern plains of Namib Naukluft, Tsaobis, Skeleton Coast Park, Damara wilderness Reserve and Kaokoveld.
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