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Zebra
Sighted on: 01.Aug.2024
During the evening Game Drive, we witnessed a very special natural history moment. From a distance, we spied what looked like a dead zebra on the ground. Our guests were quite excited, as they thought it was a lion kill and the lions would be nearby. However, as we drew close, we realised that the zebra was not dead but merely lying on the ground. This perplexed our guests, as they were not sure what was happening with the zebra. The zebra, in fact, seemed to be in a deep sleep! It is a myth that zebras (and horses) always sleep standing up. They can complete some stages of sleep standing but a full sleep cycle includes REM-sleep which requires complete muscle relaxation. This can only be achieved lying down. When they fall into REM sleep standing, they collapse, which is what happened to this particular animal. Also, lying down flat in the heat and direct sunlight produces more energy thermo-regulation.
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