Burchells zebra hunting in Namibia

Zebras are an iconic African species that needs little introduction. Namibia has two species of Zebra, the Mountain Zebra and the Plains Zebra. The latter species is represented by two colour variants. Burchell’s Zebras are the most common of the Plains Zebras found in Southern Africa and commonly found on the less arid game ranches of northern and central Namibia. It is identifiable by what is known as a shadow stripe between the black and white stripes of a Zebra’s coat. Burchell’s Zebra stripes meet under the belly and also tend to fade out on the white lower legs. Burchell’s Zebra are bulk grazers (long grass grazers) that can survive off of poor quality grazing. They are very alert animals often living in symbiosis with Blue Wildebeest. Apart from providing an early warning system for these animals they also eat the long grass, creating suitable grazing areas for the Wildebeest. Each Zebra has a different stripe pattern, much like a human fingerprint and the beauty of a Zebra trophy is in the eye of the beholder. In many instances both stallions and mares can be hunted. Burchell’s Zebra are classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN and no special hunting permits are required.