International Zebra Day

It's time for some black-and-white thinking. January 31 is International Zebra Day, a day to honor these stripey creatures. While all zebras have the iconic black-and-white stripes, there are actually three different species of zebras: plains, mountain, and Grévy's zebras. Today's snapshot shows Burchell's zebras, a subspecies of the plains zebra, in Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa. Found across eastern and southern Africa, zebras thrive in savannas, shrublands, woodlands, and even mountain regions. They spend most of their time eating—grasses, leaves and shrubs are their favorites—and have been known to travel hundreds of miles in search of food, and water. Sadly, all three varieties of zebra are under threat from hunting and habitat destruction, so events like International Zebra Day that draw attention to their plight are more necessary than ever.
© Richard Du Toit/Minden Pictures