Lens-Artists Challenge #132 – Striped and Checked

“You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions.”
Isak Dinesen
For this week’s challenge “striped or checked” I decided to keep it simple and focus on a single subject – the beautiful zebras of Botswana. Surely there is no more iconic subject when it comes to stripes! All of my images this week were captured in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, home to the Plains Zebra – including the Burchell variety which is the only type found there.

“When you look a wild animal in the eye, it’s like catching a glimpse into the soul of nature itself”
Paul Oxton
Named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2014, the Okavango Delta is so large it can be seen from outer space. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a sea or ocean. Because it floods seasonally, the delta’s plants and animals have adapted their lifecycles to its annual rain cycle. During migration, up to 25,000 zebras can be found in Botswana. The image above shows a zebra and a wildebeest (both striped 😊) grazing comfortably side by side. While we did not see intermingling between species, we found most of the grazing creatures peacefully co-existing.

“Scientists think they can now clone an all-white zebra. Now, I’m no expert, but isn’t that a horse?
Jay Leno
The three types of zebra are very difficult to distinguish. The Plains zebra (including the Burchell) is noted for its faint tan line within its white stripes. The Grevy’s zebra is the largest species, and the Mountain zebra prefers to live in high altitude areas. All three varieties have that perfectly-shaped black and white mane that looks as if it has just come from the hairdresser 🙂. While generally placid, the kick of a zebra can break a lion’s jaw, and males are known to eat the foals of other males to reinforce their dominance within the herd.

“I asked the zebra, are you black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?”
Shel Silverstein
Zebras, horses and donkeys are the only members of the Equus genus of mammals. A male zebra and a female horse can mate, creating offspring called a zorse. Much more rare, a female zebra and a stallion can mate and give birth to a hebra. Interestingly, although very difficult for humans to recognize, each zebra has its own unique pattern of stripes, much like our own fingerprints. Scientists believe the stripes help hide the zebra from predators as they resemble the dappled sunlight through African trees, or that they form a bit of a thermometer assist – dark stripes attracting the sun on cool mornings and white reflecting it to cool them in mid-day heat.

“The herd may graze where it pleases, but he who lives the adventurous life will remain unafraid when he finds himself alone.”
Raymond B. Fosdick
A group of zebras is called a dazzle or, less interestingly, a herd. We found them to be curious creatures, but in an interesting way. Typically we’d come across a dozen or more in a group, but only one would turn to see us, typically the last in line. Do you suppose they have an appointed guard or lookout assigned to check out potential threats?

“Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken.”
Ernest Gaines
I have amazing memories of our African safari, including the beautiful creatures with which one is surrounded. While in the midst of it however, there is much to see and absorb, such that little facts tend to be forgotten. Many of those in today’s post were discussed during our safari but had long been forgotten until I searched them online.

“Travel , photography and wilderness are my addictions….And I’m happy with that…”
Kedar Dhepe
I had a hard time narrowing down the number of images for this week as you may have noticed. Hopefully you’re still with me as I thank you for your creative and interesting responses to last week’s Emotions challenge. We appreciate your using the Lens-Artists tag to help us find you, and ask you this week to include a link to Ann-Christine’s post here. As always, we look forward to seeing your responses. Finally, we hope to see you again next week when Amy hosts our next challenge. Until then, stay safe and have a wonderful week.
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Wow, these photos are just amazing! I so enjoyed it!!
Happy to hear that Aletta, many thanks
You’re welcome!
WOW. Beautiful Tina. Nothing personifies stripes like a zebra. The veritable epitome of stripedness. I am dazzled. Very well done.
You do know how to turn a phrase my friend! Many thanks
What a visual treat, Tina! These images are marvelous. I’ve never seen a close up of their manes and didn’t know they were striped too! Gorgeous. Too bad that we can’t have hair like that! Your facts about zebras were all great info: the types, the name for the herd, etc. All in all, a great post–both the images and details. You knocked this one out of the park!
Thanks Patti, glad you enjoyed this one. Took me a while to think about where to go with it but once I settled on these iconic creatures the rest was easy! I was amazed by their manes as well – who knew they’d be perfectly striped as well!??!
Amazing!
I like the single zebra shot where it’s turning back towards you. What a great name for a group of zebras!
Thanks Siobhan, don’t you just wish he could tell us what he’s thinking?!
Fascinating creatures.
Thanks Sally, they’re very docile unless provoked or chased by a predator, and their stripes are fabulous!
My first thoughts when I saw the challenge was zebras. I wonder how many others went down that road.
Spoiler Alert: no zebras in Florida unless you go to a zoo. LOL I haven’t been to our local zoo yet.
I think that’s a bucket list day trip when we’re released to travel.
LOVE … LOVE … LOVE … the photographs. I knew the history of them but seeing the various markings
on this is mesmerizing. No pun intended. The face on the zebra in “SNACKTIME’ is priceless.
Be Safe … 😷 🙏🏻 😊 Isadora 😎
Thanks Izzy, it’s truly a gift to see them, as well as all of their fellow creatures, in their natural world. So glad you enjoyed this one. And BTW, you may not have zebras but rumor has it you have cougars which would be amazing to see!
There’s been a bit of too much construction in my – once little hidden paradise – that is causing our wildlife, such as cougars, ocelots, raccoons and gopher turtles to scatter. It’s breaking my heart to see. I’ll have to keep my camera ready in the event I see one of them. Fun challenge this week. It opened our eyes to see what’s stripped and checked. Have a GREAT week …
We have the same problem here Izzy. Our latest issue is that the pesticides people are using to keep the marsh rats away are killing our iconic bobcats – the top predators on our island. They eat the rats that have been poisoned and they too die. We’re trying to ban the pesticides but it’s a long, uphill battle.
Wonderful! You can never have too many zebra photos 😀 And I loved your quotes interspersed with the interesting facts.
Actually, I nearly went with zebras myself this week, and from Botswana too. But we didn’t see many in the Okavango, so my shots would have been from Chobe where there were loads!
Thanks Sarah, agree wholeheartedly 😊. Amazed you didn’t see many zebras in Okavango – must have been a different time of year. They were everywhere while we were there. haven’t been to Chobe – I’d love to think we’d go back to Africa one day.
Lovely portraits.
Many thanks Rupali
Best example of stripes!
Thanks Teresa, I couldn’t resist this one 😊
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Ah, my favourite kinds of photos. I like the mixed herds of wildebeest and zebra, each looking out for danger. Your photos also reminded me of the red dust that hangs on to the fur of the animals in their own habitat. Lovely photos.
Since I’m on a blogging holiday, I bring you some older stripes: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2017/06/04/encounter-with-a-tiger/
Thanks I.J. Mother Nature has given us so many gifts to be thankful for. Animals in their own environment would be near the top of my personal list as well
Lovely…Perfect example of stripes
Thanks very much Indra
Love zebras – some of my fav pics are of them in Africa 😉 Thanks for the memories!
Thanks Karen – Their stripes make them such a fun subject I think!
ah-! truly a perfect subject for stripes and the dazzling dazzle was extra fun – “hey you lookin’ at me?”
Exactly! They do seem to be able to read us pretty well, don’t you think Yvette?
😊🦓🦓yes – sure do ! and what’s cool place to visit and do photo shoots –
Tina, I love your zebra shots! They are amazing animals and it looks like they enjoy having their picture taken. I especially like Dazzling Dazzle, with the last one in line turning to tell you goodbye. 😀
Thanks Sylvia – I thought that too. They look so sweet don’t they?
Stunning!!! And I love reading the quotes you pair with your photos.
Thanks very much – glad you appreciated this one.
Such amazing zebra photos. They are portraits really. Beautiful.
High praise from a wonderful horse-woman like you Anne. Their stubby legs and rounded bellies make them look much less graceful than a horse but perhaps a bit more “cute” ??
Interestingly enough zebras cannot be trained. In the 19th Century it as a fashion to try to train them as carriage horses but they were not reliable enough. And they will not accept training to be ridden. I saw lots of them in Kenya many years ago. and admired them
Very interesting indeed Anne. Good for them for their independent spirits!
Tina these are absolutely amazing! Beautiful beautiful beautiful ❣❣❣🦓🦓🦓
Thanks so much Lisa, glad you enjoyed
What an interesting term for the groupings.. “ a dazzle.” I have always been dazzled by their incredible markings, symmetrical brilliant designs…A busy brilliant project for God’s paintbrush!
I thought so too Linda – and loved your thought about God’s paintbrush!
I now know a lot more about Zebras than I did a few moments age. Great photos Tina 🙂
Thanks Brian – perhaps more than you ever WANTED to know but thanks for reading through and for enjoying the images.
Fantastic!!!!!!! Dar
Sent from my iPad
Oh you’re such an easy touch for our four legged friends Dar! Glad you loved these, knew you would!
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Love your take on the theme! A very informative post.
Many thanks Sandy, glad this one caught your eye.
It sure did!
wow. These are stunning and I learned so much. Now I need to go google a zorse and a hebra. 🙂
As did I Kirstin! Had never heard of such a thing and found it really interesting. Glad you found this one interesting.
There’s a photo of a zorse in an article I found online – it’s quite beautiful. And yes, I knew about the lions and their cubs but they are a more ferocious animal so I wasn’t as surprised as I was about the zebras – and now about barn cats as well! I’d actually seen a zebra-striped navy ship here in Charleston at our naval museum but had forgotten about it until I read your comment. Interesting!
Jay Leno: “Scientists think they can now clone an all-white zebra. Now, I’m no expert, but isn’t that a horse?”
White horses are actually gray, from light (what we see as white) to dark.
More trivia: During WW2, the British Navy took to painting their naval surface combatants and cargo ships to resemble zebra striping. They were losing considerable naval assets to the German submarine wolfpacks. Taking a page from nature, the zebra pattern made a ship more difficult to discern while looking through the periscope. It forced the U-boats to active ping on the sonar if they thought they were encountering a surface contact. Once a submarine active pings, their subsurface location and heading is revealed. It worked in the beginning until the U-boat force adjusted their tactics.
And, more trivia: “males are known to eat the foals of other males to reinforce their dominance within the herd.” This, unfortunately, is part of nature. The dominant male lion would kill cubs of a lioness, in order to show pecking order to other male lions in the pride. More often, it is so he can mate with the lioness who had cubs. That’s why a lioness, if she sees a male lion, dominant and lesser, walk close to any of her cubs, she stands ready to defend them. And, usually another lioness, likely a relative, will stand with her. You also see this behavior among unfixed barn cats.
Now you know, LOL. 😉 🙂
They have a knowing kind of look, Tina. I’m sure they had you sussed as a good guy 🙂 🙂 But I wouldn’t want to get the wrong side of them and that baby! Fabulous photos, hon!
Thanks Jo, and I’m sure you’re right. They seem quite docile and are very tame around people but I wouldn’t want to cross one or get to close the foal – apparently they can be quite vicious when necessary
Us Mums are all the same 🙂 🙂
And thank goodness for that !
It’s always a treat to see your shots from Africa.
Thanks Jane. Must admit I love visiting the Africa archives. An amazing experience from start to finish.
What a fun theme, Tina, and who doesn’t love zebras? Gorgeous shots. I bet it was cool seeing them up close and in the wild.
Who indeed Terri – except perhaps a lion who’s been kicked in the jaw LOL. It was very cool and then some to see them in their natural environment.
I almost went with zebras, but I’m glad I didn’t as only a couple shots were in the “wild” while the others were in a rescue. Yours are wonderful as usual.
janet
They are a iconic when the subject is stripes aren’t they Janet?! Many thanks for your visit and comment.
Oh I adore your zebra photos 😀
Many thanks Cee – they are a beautiful animal in their striking stripes.
Tina–you have been places I will never go and have seen things I will never see, so please never narrow your photos down! I so look forward to see where we are going each weekend. These photos were wonderful, might I even say, dazzling! 😉
Aw, you definitely made my day today Lois. I have a very specific memory from some 25+ years ago when we received an A&K safari brochure in the mail. I distinctly remember thinking that would be an amazing experience but something I’d never be able to do. Many years later when we finally did go it was everything I’d imagined it would be and more. They say it is life-changing and I totally agree. So glad you enjoyed this one.
Lens-Artists Challenge #312 – Striped and Checked. Excellent
On Sunday, January 24, 2021, Travels and Trifles wrote:
> Tina Schell posted: ” TWO GENERATIONS “You know you are truly alive when > you’re living among lions.”Isak Dinesen For this week’s challenge “striped > or checked” I decided to keep it simple and focus on a single subject – the > beautiful zebras of Botswana. Surely there is ” >
Thanks Cathy, must appreciated
Oh, those zebras are adorable! Botswana seems a nice place to see. Adding to my bucket list! 🙂
Aren’t they sweet Meikah? Yes Botswana is glorious, definitely bucket-list worthy
Cool!
OMG the stiped mane. I’d never noticed – last time I got that close to one! And how did you find this adorable quote from Shel Silverstein? “I asked the zebra, are you black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?” You made my day. Simple dazzling – all of them. Thanks for the lesson. I read every word, and unfortunately, I’ll forget most of them. Dang this brain!
Dazzling – I get it! Loved John’s comment that it looked like a Mohawk 😀
As for the brain, well that is exactly why we need photo archives and Google, right Marsha?!
LOL, that’s right, Tina. I need to go visit John. The mane does look like a Mohawk. Such exotic pictures, I just love your wild animal pictures. They are my favs. 🙂
Thanks Marsha, I’m a sucker for a wild animal I must admit!
Roarrrrrr
Such beautiful animals. I especially like the “Princely Portrait.”
Thanks Yinglan, I thought they looked quite majestic up-close.
Perfect selections for striped. These are remarkable photos of these zebras. What a fabulous trip you had, Tina!
It was indeed Amy, and my archives are a wonderful reminder of how terrific it really was. Thanks for the lovely comment.
Zebras were created for this challenge. And what wonderful studies you’ve produced. However good your zoom, you must have been able to get pretty close?
I must say I thought so too Margaret. I did have a wonderful 200mm Nikon zoom but yes, the zebras didn’t mind our presence at all. They made a wonderful subject.
*turns green with envy*
“Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken.”
– enjoyed ! eco
Thanks EP, so glad you enjoyed these.
I didn’t realize that zebras have perfect crewcuts (or are they mohawks?) I’ll leave that determination to others. Seriously, great photos depicting stripes. Only recently I heard of the Okavango Delta when I saw a documentary on a streaming TV channel.
LOL you’re so right John, they ARE mohawks! The delta is incredible – so much magnificent wildlife. Truly a life-changing experience for us.
Gorgeous creatures and gorgeous images, Tina! Who doesn’t love Zebras? I hoped you would post on them – and you did! Thank you. I did not know about the different mating possibilities and the names of the offspring – interesting. I would have loved to see one of those too. I noticed the difference in stripes on their tails – never did that before. I hope you have framed some zebra images for your wall – I most certainly would have…they are iconic in their beauty.
Thanks Ann-Christine. Oddly I’d sent a response to you earlier but somehow it’s disappeared. Just curious if you ever saw it. As for the zebras, who indeed doesn’t love them! Interestingly the stripes on the tails was something I hadn’t noticed either before seeing the images . Iconic for sure!
I don’t think I have seen any earlier response? I’ll have to take a look again. Thank you, Tina – let’s see if I can find it.
A lovely collection of stripes.
thanks Jude – they’re a lovely collection of animals 😊
Thanks for the tour and lesson. Your images are wonderful. We have the Grevy’s zebra in our Sacramento Zoo, so it was great to be introduced to other types.
Many thanks Anne – seeing them in the wild was amazing.
Gotta love the zebra! I especially liked Snack Time and reading the facts.
Thanks Sharon – I was astounded at the number of photos I had of them. I guess I was truly drawn to their seemingly sweet nature and their stunning stripes
Your Zebra images are perfect for the stripes challenge. How wonderful to not only see them up close but to capture them so beautifully in your photos.
Thanks Beth – all of the creatures we saw on our safari were magical. The zebras are so interesting in the beautiful striped coats!
Thanks Tina .These are showstoppers. Love the Mama and Dad with their child. Didn’t see the striped wildebeest when we were in Botswana.. I will check through my saved photos and take part in this.
Many thanks Anita – looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
First, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed seeing these gorgeous striped creatures through your lens. Excellent! But two other things caught my attention: the word “dazzle” for a herd of zebras and the quote by Shel Silverstein. You do have a way of putting things together. So interesting.
Thanks Rusha – I found the “dazzle” name equally fun and catchy. SO much more interesting that herd – blah!
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Wow. Lovely facts.