Page 37 - The World of Animals

with his newly opened eyes or run away from them with his weak,
trembling limbs. You see, Allah has inspired the new-born zebra to

remain next to his mother always until he grows up. Otherwise, how

could he know that there are predators around waiting for him and
that the most secure place for him is with his mother?
Most zebras live on open grasslands where there is not much

possibility to hide. For this reason, in order to stay alive, they need

to move very fast. All the body structure of a zebra is devised to
meet this need. For instance, their limbs are very long; they can run
very long distances without becoming exhausted or losing speed.

Although light, the bones of zebras are very strong.

Zebras feel the need to drink water very often. In regions where
water is scarce, they use their sharp sense of smell and dig a hole to
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reach fresh water. In moments of danger, mature zebras push

young zebras into the middle of the herd to protect them. As the

zebras run together, young animals always remain inside the herd
and run close to their mothers for better protection.