John F. connor, Content Marketing executive, MA, Minsk,Poland
Answered Feb 08, 2019
Zebras seem to be easy targets and in a sense they are. They are striped for easy spotting and they run slower than other animals like horses. They also have a lot of predators. These predators include lions, crocodiles and cheetahs. Usually, these animals can outrun them and tear them apart. However, they do have ways to defends themselves against these predators.
Like horses, zebras can use their back legs to kick. The kick will be powerful and will stun the predator. Also, there are ways that the zebras can camouflage themselves using their stripes. Zebras can often be seen together in packs. Since predators will see a large group of these black and white striped beasts, they know to stay away.
The zebras as a group defend their particular community by keeping their pace suitable for any elderly or young amongst them. When an individual zebra is being threatened by another species, other zebras will surround it and try to form a protective circle or shield.
It doesn't always work! In general, when a lion, say, is prowling near, the pack will zoom off, the young near to their parents. When they are attacked, zebras kick out with their hooves and this is not to be under-estimated. It is effective with smaller yapping mammals like a hyena but less so with the strong lion.
Zebras normally move in groups, this provides great protection for them. They benefit from eyes, nostrils and ears of other zebras in the group to alert them to the presence of a predator. When a predator is near, they form a circle facing the attacker and they get ready to strike if the predator attacks. The stripes of the zebra make it hard for predators to single out any individual zebra.
The herd also moves with other animals like the baboons, to increase their chances of detecting a predator far ahead.
Zebras are also very fast, they have great stamina and they can run more than 30 miles per hour. This allows them to outrun a predator. Zebras can kick and bite. They use their powerful legs to kick their predators.