Zebras belong to equidae/horse family just like the horses, the donkeys and other species. Zebras single-hoofed and they are native to Africa and the main difference between a zebras and the other family members is the fact that Zebras have got very distinctive white and black stripped coat and these stripes come in different patterns on every single zebra. these you will have an opportunity to see during our thrilling Safaris in Uganda They are thought to be animals with a white coat and black or brown stripes and this is because these stripes do end around the belly region therefore the belly and their inner legs are white.
There are 3 different Zebra species and each specie has a different stripes pattern. These include the grevy’s zebras which have really thin stripes compared to others, there are the mountain zebra and these have the vertical stripes around the neck and the torso region while the stripes are horizontal around their haunches. The third species is the plains zebras which are characterized with brownish /shadow stripes in between their black stripes. They also differ in sizes, the grevy’s is the largest as it can weigh even 450kg and have a length of about 1.5meters long from the shoulders up to the hoof. The Mountain zebras grow up 4.9 feet tall at the shoulder and do weigh up to 372 kg and the smallest are the plains zebras which grow up to 4.8 feet and a weight of 350 kg basing on information from the African Wildlife Foundation.
Where in to see Zebras in Uganda
In general, zebras prefer staying in the grassland areas, in the Savannas, the thorny scrubs, the woodlands, in mountainous and also along coastal hills but despite the fact that all zebra species are found in Africa, every species have a best choice for a home own home for example, the plains zebras prefer the grasslands and woodlands without trees in the eastern like in Uganda and southern parts of Africa. Then the grevy’s zebra prefer places with the arid grasslands vegetation like in Ethiopia and in the northern parts of Kenya. The mountain zebras are commonly seen in South Africa, in Namibia and also in Angola.
Lake Mburo national park is the place for an amazing and rewarding zebra safari in Uganda. There are specific places that you have to visit because Zebras are not found everywhere across Uganda but Lake Mburo National Park is one of the few places where you can find them. Lake Mburo is the smallest and the closest park to Kampala which means, you can have a trip as short as two days tour around this park and you will be amazed by the huge population of zebras living in this park.
These are very beautiful animals therefore very interesting to watch. You can plan a trip to Mburo for an amazing wildlife adventure since you will not only see the zebras but also so many other animals like the lots of different types of antelopes like the kobs, elands, water and bush bucks, among others and many more animals except elephants. This trip can be made more interesting by including a few shot activities that you can do along the way along the Masaka-Mbarara route for instance, you can have a stop at the Equator so you can take some photos and you can also visit the famous Mpabile drum maker’s market just see or even buy a souvenir for you self.
Those that love watching birds will be amazed the big number of birds in this park. Bird watching is done at the same time as the nature walk and game drive around the park. This will be a guided adventure therefore a well trained guide will be with you all the way and he will be able to explain and help you understand whatever you wish to know.
Kidepo valley national park located in the not Eastern corner of Uganda along the border of Uganda and Sudan is another place you can find Zebras. This place has really high population on many occasion, they are seen as close as around the hotel’s compound within the park. Large herds of zebras 
are seen in different parts of this park and the best way to locate them is by going for a game drive.
Basically, it’s just the Plains zebras and the mountain zebras that enjoy forming families headed by the stallion and the rest of the members left include a number of mares and a number of offspring. These family groups are called harems and on several occasions these groups come together to form herds. The Grevy’s zebras however don’t form herds but the stallions mark territories and let the mature females called mares cross into their territories. Zebras reach maturity at 3-6 years and once they mate, breeding begins and give birth after 12-14months. After giving birth, the foals have to breast feed therefore they will stay with their mother for a while but the moment the foals are mature enough to travel like after a year, they have together with the mother get out the territory to care and hunt for themselves.
Feeding Habits
Once they reach the hunting stage, they will hunt along with their mother or on their own when they have fully grown up. They hunt for mostly fresh grass and they are willing to walk over 1,800 miles only to find this food. Some zebras however feed on green leaves as well as twigs.
Looking for this food has never been a problem to them since they can walk long distances, there only problem is the encounter with predators.
Main Predators
Major threats to the zebras are the powerful carnivores like the lions, hyenas, the cheetahs as well as the leopards. The Stallion will always alert the rest of the group members once he senses danger using a really high-pitched snort. As the rest of his family members runs in zigzag way, the stallion has to stand his ground and attempt to fight the enemy therefore at that moment he lowers his head, the neck outstretched and his teeth bared, ready to bite but is if the enemy is so close. Normally the stallion will just run away too running away rather than risk being killed. There are so many zebras that fall victim and their life span is shortened. Zebras have a life span of 25 years.
There are other ways Zebras communicate rather than sort. They facial expressions like the wide-open eyes and bared teeth, they will bark, huff and bray when they want to drive a point home. They position their ears to signal their different feelings for instance the backward flattened ears mean trouble. Zebras have other mutual grooming they go through that strengthen the bonds between themselves thus help them survive in the jungle.
It is also believed that they are able to survive in the jungle with the help of stripes which work as a camouflage. This works in a way that if they are standing together, it becomes hard for the predators to tell how many they really are in that particular group. Also these stripes make zebras look unattractive especially to smaller predators like the bloodsucking horseflies that spread deadly diseases. In addition, to protection, stripes act natural sunscreen for these animals.
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