©Tim Lewthwaite
May 9, 2019
Fight Between Friends
- as seen by -
Tim Lewthwaite
Plains zebras, also known as Burchell’s zebras, are the most common species of zebra in Africa. You can find them from southern Ethiopia through East Africa to eastern South Africa. They live in herds of unrelated females with a stallion.
Like all equine species, the herds have a social hierarchy with the stallion at the top followed by an alpha female. Squabbles can break out at any time, and usually involve pinned back ears, flashing teeth, a cloud of dust, and an occasional kick. These spats are usually over as quickly as they start and help build and maintain cohesion in the herd. All this makes for interesting photography, as you never know when the action will start.
I was taking a photo of the zebra on the left because I thought it had some unusually thick black strips on its face when another zebra took offense at its position in the herd. The two spun around each other for a brief moment and then walked off as if nothing had happened. Their interaction left me with one of my favorite African shots.
Nikon D80, 70-300mm Lens
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