THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
coloration of zebras might render them more or less inconspicuous. 
But all over Africa zebras prefer to live on open plains, and although they 
are also found amongst scattered bush or in open forest, they are hardly 
ever met with in any kind of dense jungle. On an open plain in the bright 
African sunlight, their striped coats show up very plainly at two or three 
hundred yards. At longer ranges they look very white if the sun is shining 
on them, and very dark if the sun is behind them. If a herd of zebras is 
seen feeding with either gemsbuck or elands, they are always far more 
conspicuous than either of these unicoloured species of antelopes. As, 
however, the only animals which habitually prey upon zebras are lions, 
and as these carnivora hunt, as a rule, by night and by scent, the benefit 
which a zebra derives from the very remarkable colour of its coat must 
be of the slightest. The flesh of zebras is much esteemed by the natives of 
Africa, as these animals often become very fat, especially the mares. 
The fat is yellow, and nauseous -looking, but I have found the lean meat of 
a young zebra fried with bacon quite palatable, though there is a very 
general prejudice against it amongst European travellers and sportsmen. 
Zebras are usually supposed to be very untameable, but I have seen two 
or three which were perfectly tame, and even the half-broken animals 
which I saw in the stables along the old coach road through the Transvaal 
between Pieter sburg and Tuli in 1893 did not seem to me to be at all 
vicious. The coloured drivers did not like them, as they said they had no 
heart, and would always refuse to pull, and lie down in sandy or muddy 
ground. 
I have only met with Gravy’s zebras near the southern limit of their 
range, along the northern Gwas N’yiro river to the north of Mount Kenia. 
They are very much larger animals than Burchell’s zebras, standing from 
4 ft 9 in. to nearly 5 ft at the shoulder. What struck me most about them 
was the very large size of the head. The ears, too, are very large — both 
broad and long, and rounded at the top. Still, they are beautiful animals. 
When a Gravy’s zebra is standing broadside on, the alternate black and 
white stripes of its coat, which are very narrow, can only be distinguished 
at a short distance, beyond which the animal appears unicoloured. With 
the sun behind it, or in shade, a Gravy’s zebra appears to be of a uniform 
blackish brown or dark dun; but when the sun is shining full on one of 
these animals it looks almost white. When facing one, the broad black 
bands across the chest of a Gravy’s zebra can be distinguished at a 
considerable distance. 
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