UTILIZING THE ZEBRAS 
on, much to the alarm of the Indian servants. The speed of the ghorkhar 
is so great that it appears to be impossible for a single horseman to ride 
down an adult in good condition.” 
The zebras of South Africa show precisely similar traits, in 
regions where not much molested often trotting close to a cara- 
van until they get a scent of human beings, when they whirl 
and dash away in fright. Just such behavior is seen in the 
“‘wild”’ horses of Turkestan, Patagonia, and our southwestern 
plains. Their principal enemies in Asia are wolves, and in 
Africa and America the great cats, zebras forming at present 
the principal prey of the East African lions and leopards. Ze- 
bras are usually in fine, fat condition and no game flesh is better 
liked by the average African. Selous notes that it is dark yel- 
low in color, and too rich to suit the stomach of a European, 
but if fried with bacon is not unpalatable. The early extinc- 
tion of those of the South was mainly due to the Boers slaugh- 
tering them as food for their negro slaves. 
The zebra has not yet furnished us with a domestic race of 
any particular value, in spite of occasional successes in rearing 
them and training them to harness. Hybrids between them 
and the mare are hardy and less vicious, and something valu- 
able may yet be made of them. Much the same is true of the 
Asiatic ass. Its foals are frequently captured by stratagem, 
and are easily reared; but it seems to require exceptional wis- 
dom and care to make them safe and tractable, or of any use 
in harness. Their flesh is not liked when anything else can be 
had, but the Persians and Afghans find it great sport to chase 
them with greyhounds. 
From the African wild ass, however, we have derived the 
donkey, — one of the most valuable of our four-footed servants. 
It has been varied far less than the horse from the 
original type, although it is perhaps older as a do- 
mestic animal. It was an abused and enduring slave of the 
farmer and peddler in Egypt long before the horse became known 
2B 369 
Donkey. 
