• What types of foods are you eating while in Africa?
• How is it different from American food?
• Could you bring back a recipe or two?

The food has been wonderful! We have had lots of fruit (pineapple, papaya, watermelon, mango, and bananas) and vegetables, rice and pasta. In Lewa, there was homemade bread (yum!) and soup everyday -- in addition to the other foods. One night we had goat, and another time we had goat ribs. We also had ugali, which is a corn-based porridge-like stuff that you eat with your fingers. In Lewa, we had a local dish called githeri, which was a delicious bean and corn stew. In Wamba, we sometimes had chapatis (thin pancakes) for breakfast

Here are some recipes:
Chapatis
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 to 1 cup water
1. In a large bowl, combine salt and 2 1/2 cups flour. Add 3/4 cup oil and mix well. Add water little by little, stirring after each addition, until dough is soft. Knead dough in bowl for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup flour on a flat surface. Take a 2-inch ball of dough and, with a floured rolling pin, roll out into a 1/8-inch-thick circle about the size of a saucer. Repeat with remaining dough, sprinkling flat surface with flour if dough sticks.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Fry chapati 3 to 5 minutes per side or until brown.
4. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels. Fry remaining chapatis, adding more oil if necessary.
5. Serve immediately or place in a covered container until ready to serve.
makes 6 chapatis

Githeri
Dried whole kernel corn (maize); rinsed in cold water
Dried beans (kidney beans or similar); soaked in cold water for a few hours, rinsed
1. In a large pot, combine equal amount dried corn and beans. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for ten minutes.
2. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for two hours or until corn and beans are tender. In the finished dish, most of the water should be absorbed, and the corn and beans should be tender yet still intact, not mushy. Season with salt, oil, or fat.
Serve hot, alone as a main dish, or as a side to any other dish.
Makes 4 servings

--Ms. Russell

What adaptations do zebras have to help them survive?

• Their stripe pattern serves as camouflage and may also help to cool the animal down and confuse predators.
• They have one toe on each foot, which makes them the best runners in loose dirt.
• They have large ears that swivel around so they can hear predators.
• They also have long tails that help to keep bugs away.
• Males have a pair of sharp canine teeth for fighting.
• They have a simple stomach so they can digest coarse material, so they are not as affected by drought as other grazers.

--Ms. Russell

We've seen pictures of birds sitting on zebras. What kind of relationship exists between the birds and the zebras?
There is a symbiotic relationship between the zebras and the birds (the birds are Ox Peckers, by the way). The birds remove ticks and other parasites from the animal.
--Ms. Russell

Do zebras migrate? Do they have specific routes they travel when/if they migrate?

They do migrate, and there are specific routes they travel. Migration is seasonal depending on where green grass and water is. For instance in Wamba, we didn’t see a lot of zebras, because they have gone somewhere where there is more food and water.

--Ms. Russell

How do scientists determine the size of the Grevy's Zebra population? What method do they use for determining the number of animals in a herd?

There are two ways to determine the size of the population:
1. a ground count
2. an area census by small plane
The count is done by block or area. Five vehicles all go out at the same time and count all the zebras in each area. Then there's one plane that counts in the areas vehicles can't get to. This way you get a total ground census of the population.

The observations that we've been doing in Lewa and Wamba are how scientists determine the number of animals in a herd. We go into an area, count the zebras and then determine the number, age, and sex of all the zebras in the herd. In the case of a really large herd, the animals are counted section by section, and then added all together.

-- Ms. Russell

What is the relationship between zebras and people? Do people use any parts of them?

Zebras have never been domesticated, but people have used their skins and their fat. Some people do eat zebra meat. Today, people mostly appreciate them for their beauty. And Zebras play an important role in maintaining the balance of nature.

--Ms. Russell

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Jogn E. (pd. 1)

1) Do the scientists (or the animals) ever become dehydrated with the high temperatures and drought conditions?
Everyone on the team, scientists and volunteers, was careful to drink enough water, so dehydration was not a problem for us. Because it was so hot, you wanted to drink lots of water!
--Ms. Russell

2) How is water supplied to all the scientists and volunteers?
Water is supplied to the volunteers and scientists from the lodging area. We carried our boiled and filtered water bottles every where we went.

3) Is the water at the reserves purified or clean?
The water at the reserves is boiled and filtered for the people. The water is not purified for the animals because they are used to drinking it.
--Tammy Schmidt-Team Member, St. Louis Zoo

Ms. Barrett said...
Question from Garrett M. (HMS pd. 8)

Do zebras leave their parents (leave the herd)? If so, how old are the zebras when they leave?
Grevy's Zebra Foals stay with the mother for 2-3 years. If they are a boy they may join a bachelor herd. If they are a girl they may be herded by another boy and become part of a new family and start their own.
--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member, St. Louis Zoo

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Shivani P. (HMS pd. 6)

Wow! It seems like you are busy but having fun learning things in "zebra school"! It seems like there are two different types of climate in Wamba and Lewa, so I have some questions regarding the zebra's behavior. Can the zebras in Wamba, who are adapted to dry and dusty weather conditions, survive in Lewa, which is green and lush? (or vise versa?) And if the Grevy's zebra was introduced to the U.S., do you think they could survive?

Shivani,
The zebras in Wamba would do just fine at Lewa, and vice versa. The reason I know this is because I asked Joseph if he has any of the same zebras in his database that Paul has up in Wamba, and he said yes! So some zebras travel back and forth between the two sites. And there are areas in the United States where zebras could live. In fact, there are a few places in Texas where people are raising small herds of Grevy's Zebras.

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Maya H. (HMS pd. 1)

1) How do you make sure you don't count a zebra twice?
2) How do you tell a male from a female?
3) You mentioned the zebras coming to the waterhole at 8:30. Do they stay all day or just the morning?
4) How are zebras adapted for such a hot environment?
5) Are you noticing any zebras where the pigments are heavier or lighter (ex. light, blackish gray stripes vs. dark, bold, black stripes)?

Maya,
1. Researchers are fairly familiar with the zebra that live in the area because they have been studying the zebra for some time, so they rarely count the same animal twice in a day. They are also careful to visit areas each day that are far a part from one another so that the same animal would not likely be seen again.

2. The best way to tell a male and female a part is to look under them or at them from the rear end. It sounds easy but it wasn't. I found it easy to confuse the sexes. Note, there is no size or color difference between males and females.

3. Zebras will visit the waterhole for about 5 to 15 minutes. Plains zebra tend to drink more and stay longer, while Grevy's usually drink a bit and then wander off. The time can also vary if there are other animals around or the smell of a predator in the air.

4. Zebra's colors are their warm weather adaptation. The white reflects the sun and the black absorbs the heat which will help in the evening when it gets cooler. If it gets too hot they will seek the shade of a tree. The tail also is an adaptation because it keeps the flies off.

5. Based on our observations, once a zebra passes a year their colors are black on white with no variation. It is only when they are young that you see brown on the zebra. Though zebras do like to roll in the dirt and in some areas the dirt is reddish so after rolling the zebra tends to be a bit red.
--Michael - LA ZOO

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Nathan M. (HMS pd. 6)

1) Do the zebras differ in population in Lewa and Wamba?
The populations of Grevy's Zebras in Wamba and Lewa do differ currently. There are more resources (water and grass) so there are many, many more zebras at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. In Wamba, there are very few due to the drought (lack of rain). The grasses are very, very short and the ground is hot and dry. We saw around 30 Grevy's Zebra in Wamba and over 75 at Lewa. In the past they have seen hundreds of Grevy's Zebra in Wamba and hopefully will again when the rains come.

--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo

2) Have you witnessed any adults trying to save their young from being eaten or attacked?
3) Would a zebra attack a human in its territory?

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Casey L. (HMS pd. 8)

I read the Grevy's zebras are endangered, so I have a few questions to ask you and the scientists.
1) Do you know exactly why they are endangered?
The purpose of the research study we were helping with is to answer this question. The possibilities that are being considered are: overgrazing, predation, and disease.
2) How are the scientists trying to help the population?
First of all, they are trying to learn as much as possible about the zebra's behavior-- what they prefer to eat, where and how far they travel, how much time they spend grazing or drinking, when they prefer to drink or graze, and things like that. The scientists can then use what they've learned to help the zebras. For instance, we now know that zebras like to drink between 8:30 and 10:30 AM. The local people who raise livestock chase the zebras away from waterholes so that their livestock can drink. But if we know that the zebras just want to drink for 2 hours in the morning, we can work with the local people to have them allow the zebras to use the waterhole during that time.

The scientists also hire some of the local tribe people to work with them as guides. The local people begin to think of the zebras as a resource because tourists (and Earthwatch volunteers) come to Africa to see them and tourism brings money to the local people. So then they also begin to think that it is important to protect the zebras. So far, this seems to be working very well!

3) How long have the scientists been counting the zebras at Wamba and Lewa? How long has this survey beeen going on?
The study started in 2002.
4) Have zebras decreased or increased in the past 15 years?
Twenty-five years ago there were approximately 15,000 Grevy's zebras, and today there are between 1,600 and 2000. If the population decline is not reversed, they may become extinct within 50 years.

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Justin D. (HMS pd. 8)

1) You mentioned in one of your journal entries that zebras are territorial. How big is their territory?

2) What would happen if another male zebra enters his territory?

3) If zebras are territorial, is there more than one male in a herd?

Yes, Grevy's Zebra males are territorial. There are no permenant bonds between adult Grevy's Zebra. You may find bachelor herds, mares with foals and they may all join in a mixed herd, but no mixed herds last too long. Aggression does not occur often between breeding stallions. There may be chasing and nipping, but that may be the extent of the interactions. The
solitary-territorial males usually only associate with mares that drift through their territory. The territories are large for a herbivore. These territories may range from 1-5 square miles. Some ranges for both females and males individually could go as high as 3000-4000 square miles.

--Tammy Schmidt-Team Member, St. Louis Zoo

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Kelsey G. (pd. 3)

Besides identifying what species the zebras are, do the stripes tell a story?

Were zebras ever poached for their striped fur?

K,
1. A zebra's stripes serve many purposes, they help researchers identify them because like a snowflake, each zebra has a different stripe pattern, their stripes help them keep warm and cool, plus their stripes help them to blend into their environment.

Also, the African people have many folktales about how the zebras got their stripes. One talks about how the zebra and the horse were invited to a dance but had nothing to wear. The zebra asked the horse to decorate its body with paint. The zebra loved the design so much that it refused to paint the horse. Thus, the zebra has stripes and the horse does not.

2. Yes, zebras were and still are killed for thier skins. The Grevy's is protected but the Plains zebra can still be shot in some areas of Africa, like in South Africa, for its skin.

--Michael-LA ZOO

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Cory P. (Pd. 6)

Can you tell the age of the adult zebras? What is the typical life span of the Grevy's zebra?

A zebra will live between 10-25 years. I don't think you can tell the actual age of an adult zebra just by looking at it from a distance, the way we were observing the zebras. I imagine if one dies, the scientists would be able to estimate its age-- perhaps by examining its teeth or bones.

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Kim M. (HMS pd. 1)

Are zebras "friends" with any other animals? If so, what species? What animals do they interact with?
Grevy's Zebra are often found with many other ungulates. When they are grazing and traveling with other ungulates they can all become aware of nearby predators and possibly escape easier. They hang out with Wildbeast, Oryx, Impala and Plains Zebra as well as Warthogs.
--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo

When danger approaches the zebras, how fast do they move?
Grevy's zebras can run at about 35 mph.
--Ms. Russell

Ms. Barrett said...
Question from Carolyn W. (HMS pd. 3)

Since the zebras have changed from being grazers to browzers, what specific plants and shrubs are they eating?

Have any other animals changed from grazers to browzers?

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Mellanie R. (HMS pd. 6)

1) When you do the zebra counts, do you see more males or females?
When I was in Lewa I saw more females than male Grevy's Zebra. When I was in Wamba I saw more males.

2) If a mother zebra does not eat or drink as much as she is supposed to, can that affect the baby inside her or the young she is nursing?
Water is a necessity for the Zebras. The zebras are adapted to semi-arid conditions and can go without water up to 5 days. Females with babies must have water daily to produce healthy milk for the foal. There is less breeding and foals when there is not enough water.
--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member/St. Louis Zoo

3) If the camel population continues to grow, can that affect the zebra population?
The camels in Wamba are being raised as livestock, so they would have the same effect as any other livestock. They represent competition for both water and food (grass).
--Ms. Russell

Ms. Barrett said...
Question from Joe G. (HMS pd. 8)

I don't understand exactly how the stripe pattern of the zebra acts as camouflage. I don't think it would work well. Is it like a trick on the eyes much like the military's new digital camouflage?
The black and white stripes of a zebra are a type of disruptive patterning. They are hard to see by a Lion (Lions are color blind). So they have a type of camoflauge that protects them from being a Lion's dinner. Some say that the stripe pattern discourages biting insects. Finally the unique stripe patterns help mates identify each other.
--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo

Ms. Barrett said...
Question from Stephanie C. (HMS pd.6 )
Are there any differences in the zebras that you are studying in Lewa compared to Wamba? If so, what are they?

Stephanie,
The only differences between the two groups that we observed was the way and what they ate. The Wamba group had a lot less to feed upon and water was very scarce. They were forced to travel farther for their food and feed upon plants that probably were not full of nutrients.

The Lewa group was surrounded by water holes and rich, green, food sources.

--Michael - LA ZOO

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Eric C. (HMS 6th pd.)
1) Is there a major difference between Wamba and Lewa in terms of vegetation, habitat, and water supply?
Yes, there is a major difference between the vegetation and water availablitity between Lewa and Wamba. In Lewa the vegetation is much more lush and taller in some areas, due to a little bit more rainfall. They also have a swamp area and a spring fed pipe that provides a water source for most of the animals that will travel to find the water. In Wamba it is very different. It has not received enough rainfall and so the grasses are very , very short in some places, sometimes only .5 cm tall, but the Grevy's Zebra are surviving on this. There is very little water source available and the Zebra in the Wamba area must share this with the local livestock. In the Samburu Reserve/Buffalo Springs area about 2 hours from Wamba there are more water choices for the animals.

--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo

2) Would the research team see the same number of zebra in the rainy season compared to when it is not the rainy season? Is there a specific time of year that the zebra are more common?
You would definitely see more Grevy's Zebra in the rainy season versus the dry seasons. I was told by the researchers in Wamba that they will typically see upwards of 200 zebra in the Wamba rangelands, but we were seeing less than 30 zebras. The Zebra had moved on to find the water sources.

--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Andrea D. (HMS 1st pd.)
Are there any other species endangered or threatened because of the decease in the Grevy's zebra population? How has this decline impacted the food web?

Andrea,
Our group wasn't told about any other species that were in trouble because of the Grevy's decline. I would guess that if the Grevy's disappeared from certain areas, the predators that fed on the Grevy's would have to find other food sources or suffer.
If any animal is taken out of the food web the web is impacted. Sometimes we don't see the affects right way but eventually signs show up, especially if the animals left have a difficult time adapting.

--Michael - LA ZOO

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Janae P. (HMS 1st pd.)
1) Do Grevy’s zebras mate for life? If they do, how does this affect the zebra population?

2) Does a zebra’s coloring/stripe pattern have anything to do with its habitat, diet, health, or heritage?

3) In reference to your observations: In the herds, is there a leading zebra? Do males (or females) battle for dominance? If there is no leading zebra, how do the zebra herds make their decisions for migration or other group behaviors?

Ms. Barrett said...
Questions from Cailin B. (HMS 6th pd.)

1) Have you witnessed any zebra predator/prey interactions? How do zebras fend off attacks from predators (besides running)? Why do they run in zigzags when trying to escape predators?

2) Are there other ways to tell the difference between zebras besides looking at their hindquarters?

3) Are you seeing any foals in the herds you survey? How long does a foal stay with its mother? I wonder why the foals have brown stripes at birth.
Yes, we saw many foals with their mothers. They typically stay with their mothers in the harems for 2-3 years. The brown striping is usually an indicator to the other zebras that it is a baby-it is a type of silent communication. They loose that brown coloring slowly and you can tell their age up to 2 years old as the brown fades away and they get clearer black and white stripes.

--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo

Mrs. Drozd said...
Dear Ms. Russell,
The sixth graders at Tabernacle are starting their journals. As you will see, they are interested in knowing what you've seen so far. Here are some of the questions so far.
1. Have you seen any baby giraffes, any monkeys, black rhinos, or cheetahs?
I've seen giraffes, but no baby giraffes. I have seen monkeys (Vervets or green monkeys), black rhinos and white rhinos, too, and cheetahs-- and elephants, and cape buffalo, and gerenuks, and oryx, and baboons, and water buck and... so many other animals!

2. What types of food have you eaten so far that are different than ours.
We had goat a couple times. I find it to be pretty tough and chewy. We also had ugali, which is a thick, maize porridge type of stuff-- you eat it with your fingers (we were all using forks and told that wasn't the right way to eat it!). And one night in Lewa we had a local dish called githeri-- it's a bean and corn stew that was very good.

3. Shanda wanted to know if you've seen or spoken with anyone who had the ear piercings that create the elongated ear lobes?
Yes, we have! I've noticed this more on older people (both men and women) than on younger ones.

4. Another student wondered if any of the tribesman have the "stretched necks" that they saw in the books?
No, that is not something that the Samburu people do and that's the tribe in the area where we were. The people you are referring to must live in a different part of Africa.

5. Toni read that there is a camel derby in Africa? Can you find out if this is true and when it is? I think she wants to make that part of her imaginary trip with you.
Toni is right! I didn't know about that, so I looked it up and it is held in the Samburu district, which is where we were, during the second weekend of August. There are places that you can rent a camel and you can enter the race as an amateur. How fun would that be!? I really liked riding a camel!

6. Mrs. Drozd would like to know how you are observing the zebras, and do you chart the information?
You've probably already read about this in the "Yikes, Stripes!" journal entries. We did all of our observations from the Land Cruiser, using our binoculars. One or two of us always recorded data and then we entered the data into computers when we got back to where we were staying. We collected quite a lot of information that the scientists will be able to analyze later.

We look forward to hearing from you. We should have more questions once the other classes resume a regular schedule. The testing will be completed on Fri.

Ms. Barrett said...
Jambo Ms. Russell!

We, too, at the Harrington Middle School in Mt. Laurel, NJ are on your safari! We can’t wait to hear about the Grevy’s zebra and the scientific work that is being done. All of us are doing the zebra quest to learn about zebras and Kenya. We will be posting responses to your journals and asking questions throughout the expedition.

Thanks to Louis M., 2nd period has a few questions for you.

1) Is there a difference between the males and females in terms of physical characteristics? Can you differentiate the males from the females in the herd?
You sure can tell the difference between males and females. The easiest way to pick out a female at first glance is to see if there is a baby with her. Second if you see a group of zebra and only one is really looking at you intently and the others continue to eat--you know the one looking at you and being "vigilant" is the male and the others are females. It is the males job to keep a look out for his group of girls. Finally, you can see a different type of reproductive organ under a male and you can not see that under a female.

--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo

2) Do zebras always travel in herds, and if so, do they stay in a specific herd or migrate to others?
On occasion the Zebras will travel in mixed herds. These may include bachelor males and lactating females. Usually there is not really a strong social bond and they herds may stay together upwards of 3-5 monthes and then disperse.

Tammy Schmidt, Team Member-St. Louis Zoo
Asante sana!
Ms. Barrett’s 2nd period class
Harrington Middle School

Mr. Devery said...
Ms. Russell & Earthwatch Team,

My class and I started to discuss your trip to Kenya today. We spent some time discussing the main research question.

Why is the zebra population decreasing?

The class would like to know your thoughts regarding this question.

We took a poll in class today. The following are the results:

Disease 12
Climatic Change 6
Lack of Vegatation 4

Currently the Grevy's Zebra are threatened by a combination of challenges. Predation by Lions. The lions prefer to eat Grevy's over Plains Zebra. The very long drought-which has forced the zebras to travel farther distances to find water, which in turn changes the mares body from nursing their foals to survival. A mother zebra must have a good source of a water on a daily basis to produce good milk for their baby. Finally they are in competition with the Plains Zebra for the available grasses. Because there has been very little rain the Grevy's Zebra are eating very tough, very short grass that cuts their lips which then creates a bacteria (disease) that causes their death. The research we conducted on this trip will assist the scientists in determining the best possible way to help the Grevy's Zebra for the future.

--Tammy Schmidt, Team Member, St. Louis Zoo

This is the place! Do you have questions about the Samburu Wildlife and Communities project? You'll find your answers here... in a few days!