Random Crazy Facts About Plains Zebra (12 items)

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  (#10) There Are Human-Created Zebra Hybrids Called Zebroids

  If crazy zoo stories don't convince you of the zebra's victimization, then feast your eyes on the zebroid. Zebroids occur when scientists just have too much time on their hands and decide to start mixing and matching and mating animals in a Frankenstein-esque way. The end result is a funny looking, often infertile, dwarfed creature that doesn’t fit into regular zebra society, forced to live out its days in a cage.
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  (#11) Grevy's Zebras Are The Largest Equid On The Planet

  Standing at approximately 5'2" tall and weighing in at almost 1,000 pounds, the Grevy’s zebra is Earth’s largest equid. Its stripes create a wagon wheel effect that disorients predators. When combined with its mass and height, the genetic composition of the Grevy’s zebra results in a powerful animal that makes for tough prey.
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  (#8) Zebras Don't Bark, But They Do Bite

  Should it decide to fight, a zebra can and will lay it all on the line in order to win. In addition to kicking, a zebra will also bite. When traveling in packs during their rigorous migrations, zebras defend one another by encircling and then biting potential predators. A similar event occurred at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where a zebra went berserk and proceeded to bite a zookeeper. The incident was so shocking that it literally scared a nearby gazelle to death.
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  (#12) Grevy’s Zebras Are Endangered And Their Population Has Declined 50% In The Last Two Decades

  Grevy's zebras, commonly found in Kenya, faces critical endangerment; its population has been in steady decline over the course of the past century. Habitat loss due to human intervention has been cited as the key underlying cause of their near extinction. Today, there are believed to be less than 2,500 Grevy’s zebras living in the wild. These majestic wild animals play a huge part in the local ecosystem and their very presence impacts insect populations as well, helping to balance out habitats. Fortunately, conservation efforts are underway.
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  (#3) Zebra Foals Walk Within Minutes Of Being Born

  One of this wild equid’s awe-inspiring traits lies in its ability to grow from infancy to adulthood in under an hour, at least in respect to getting around. Astonishingly, a zebra infant, or foal, can walk within 15 minutes of its birth. By the time a full hour passes, that same foal will already begin running. Even with such an accelerated childhood, the foals face a 50% mortality rate. Those that survive have a lifetime of running ahead of them, so it's a good thing they receive such a head start.
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  (#7) They Deliver Kicks That Would Bring Tears To The Eyes Of An MMA Fighter... Or A Lion

  In the jungle of life, some animals simply survive by escaping, preferring to run away rather than cause a raucous. While the zebra may be a grazing creature by nature, it is equipped with the necessary skills to deliver damaging, and in some instances, fatal blows. With a set of strong jaws and keen eyesight above that of most horses, the zebra possesses the traits needed to go head-to-head. But of the zebra’s many traits, one stands out above the others: its kick. A zebra’s kick can break a human jaw with ease and even kill lions on rare occasions.

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