The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-23
THE ZEBRA.
A Picture of Grace and Beauty, n
Perfect Type of FernI Life.

From the Fan Mall Gazette.
OF all that wonderful array OF wild an
imal life with which, from time immemo-
rial, the African continent has been so
richly endowed, no form is more beauti-
full or more interesting than the zebra.
Like the giraffe. the gnu or wildebeest,
and the hippopotamus, the zebra is a form
of life quite peculiar to the Dark CONT
nent. For thousands OF years has this
handsome creature in its various species
secured the plain and mountain, adding
everywhere and at all times a singular
beauty to the wild veldt For thousands
of years has 1t hourished, little checked
by the occasional assaults and simple
weapons of the various tribes within It's
habitat or even by the ravages of it's in
cessant foe, the lion. Unhappily there
are incontestable signs that the immemo-
rial reign of this striking group of quad
rupeds is approaching close. one form
the Quagga-has vanished completely;
another-the true or mountain zebra-is
measurabiy approaching extinction; even
the most prolific of the group-Burchelfs
zebra--is being exterminated from South
ern Africa at an alarming rate. 1t may be
no great waste of time, therefore, to con-
slider briefly some of the main features
of the life history of these striking eX-
amples of Africa's disappearing fauna
have had the opportunity of observ-
ing IN their OWN WllQ ndUiLduS Two OL the
species-the Mountain zebra and Burch-
ellis zebra--the zebra of the plains--and
my conclusion Is that no form of animal
life was ever more adapted to enliven and
adorn a savage landscape. Grazing, at
rest, heeetng over the plains; standing
statue-like sentinel among the most rug
ged mountain scenery; or climbing or de-
scending at the trOt or gallop with equal
case the most rocky and formidable hill
sides, have watched with tnflnfte delight
BurchelPs and the true zebra in their own
chosen haunts In their captive state
also I have closely observed THESE crea-
lures and can safely assert that
whether free or captive, the zebra is in
variably a picture of grace and beauty, a
perfect type of feral life.
The true or mountain zebra (Equus zeb-
RAJ the hippotdgrts of the Romans, the
daoW of the HottentOts, the wilde paard
of the Beers is essentially a mountain
dweller and loves the widest, toughest
and most inaccessible parts of the rug
ged mountains of South Africa 1t is, so
far as we know at present, unrepreSented
in Central Africa, and in Northeast AT
RIGA is replaced by somewhat similar
form of Crews zebra. From constant
persecution this species is becoming very
scarce and promises not long hence to
become like its much lamented cousin
the duagga, extinct altogether. In the old
days this handsome and remarkable beast
ran plennifully in large troops upon every
mountain range of Southern Africa, from
Great Namaqualand to Swaziland. Now
alas only a scanty remnant-a few small
troops here and there-linger in the Cape
Colony in the ranges of SneeuW berg
Witteberg Trandtjesberg, Zwart berg
the Winterhock and one or two other To-
calities. where as far as possible they are
preserved
Few, If any, remain, to the mountains Of
Great Namaqualand, where Sir James
Alexander found them fifty years ago in
large numbers. A few still linger in the
Drakensberg and Lebombo (Swaziland)
nent Most unhappily, preservation in a.
vast and thinly populated country is very
difflcut native and Dutch gunners will
shoot for skins, or the mere love of
slaughter; and, despite the efforts OF Eng
fish colonists at the Cape, the rare noun
tain zebra of South Africa year by year
dwindles towards extinction. Within
twenty years 1t win probably have van
ished. and another noble form Of animal
life Will be lost to us.
II is interesting to note that the Hon
Walter Rothschiid has a team of Bur
chelPs zebras now in use in England
They are we'll broken, and are often to
be seen In harness at Tring Park, Hert-
fordshlre, as well as in London Herr
Wolff too has been very successful in
bras. which have been exhibited all this
winter 1850 in the circus at the Crystal
palace. These animals displayed great
docility and quickness in their various
performances. The failure of zebras in
Transvaal coach work Is hardly surpris-
ing IT Is not to be expected that ami
mails taken fresh from the wilderness win
at once display the same capacity for se-
we're and prolonged enforced labor as