This
is the most obvious question to ask about zebras but unfortunately nobody really
knows the answer. Looking at Zebras in the zoo, the striped patterning seems
very conspicuous and could hardly be thought of as protective. One theory,
however, claims that this is, in fact, so. The bold stripes may serve to break
up the shape of the zebra. From a distances across the shimmering grassy plains
on which the zebra lives, the blurred collection of stripes that the lion or
tiger sees may not be instantly recognizable as an animal. The patterning is
variable and no two zebras are exactly alike. It is interesting that African
people think of Zebras as black animals with white strips whereas we think of
them as white animals with black stripes.
