How Zebra got his Stripes

Zebras are an oddity to some. Their magnificent coat looks to be better suited to the dappled light cast by bare branches in a Siberian forest during winter rather than the wide open plains of Africa where yellows, greens and golds are the order of the day. Whenever I stop to view zebras with my guests, invariably the conversation turns to why? Why do they have stripes? The San people have a tale that will enlighten us.

During a great drought many moons ago, there were only a few watering holes left and Baboon had claimed one of them as his own. He exacted a toll on all who wished to come drink and because everyone was thirsty they gave into the bully’s ransom.

One day Zebra and his son, with their snow white coats, came down from the mountain in search of water and spied Baboons watering hole. They did not know that it had been claimed by the bully and so they made their way down to the water where they saw Baboon sleeping by a fire he had made.

The two proceeded to bend down to drink and the sound of their slurping up the water caused Baboon to rouse. He shouted to them “Hai you! Where is my toll for drinking at my watering hole?” Zebra and his son told him to calm down and leave them be but Baboon was having none of it. “You have already drunk from my water and I will claim your son as my toll!”

This enraged Zebra who promptly bit Baboons tail, this is where the kink comes from. Baboon then jumped on Zebras back and yanked his ears, hence Zebras long ears. The two began to fight in earnest now punches and kicks flying in a great cloud of dust until Zebra landed a kick so hard that it sent Baboon flying a great distance until he landed high upon a rocky outcrop. He landed hard on his seat and this tore all the hair clean off leaving a large pink smarting bald spot.

Zebra was now so exhausted he stumbled and fell, right into the smouldering embers of Baboon’s fire. This caused him much pain and he ran into the nearby savannah, where even to this day he and his family have remained. Baboon and his kin have stayed perched upon their rocky outcrops, shouting at all strangers who dare pass by still with their kinked tail held high so as to not irritate the bald patch they carry around.