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BOWHUNTING THE BURCHELL’S ZEBRA

ZEBRA HUNTING AFRICA

ZINGELI SAFARI’S SOUTH AFRICA

Sometimes unkindly referred to as the “pajama donkey”, the Burchell’s Zebra is one of the most exquisite trophies any bowhunter could wish for. This is one time when size is really not important, as even a rug mount of a sub-adult is eye-catching in its beauty. These animals are sometimes erroneously referred to in Afrikaans as “kwaggas”.

The true quagga, however, while closely related to the Burchell’s Zebra, became extinct towards the end of the 19th century when the last living specimen died in captivity in 1883. The whistling intake of breath, followed by the nasal “kwa ha kwa ha ha” whistling of these animals is one of the unique and captivating sounds of the African bush. It is thought that the name “kwagga”originated from the call. Inhabiting open grass plains and well grassed woodlands, this species must surely rank as one of Africa’s most elegant children.

Belonging to the horse family, the zebra has typical horselike features. The general colour is whit or buff with starkly contrasting dark brown to black stripes, which become broad and oblique over the hind quarters. Stripes extend very low down to the belly on the flanks. The height at shoulder is about 50 to 55 inches (127 to 140cm) and the animal weighs in at about 500 to 700 lb (230 to 320 kg).

There is no significant difference in size and weight between the sexes, but stallions tend to have slightly thicker necks. The Burchell’s Zebra differs from the Mountain Zebra in that the ears are shorter, a dewlap is absent, there is no “grid”pattern at the base of the tail and they have lighter shadow stripes between the black stripes on the hind quarters. Zebra always appear to be in good condition with shiny coats and well filled out bellies. This despite the fact that they carry one of the highest parasite loads of all wild animals. Most wild animals are host to may parasites, but zebra have a particularly high load when compared to other species. Some zebra even have a parasitic worm that lives in the arch of the aorta as it exits the heart. Most internal organs harbor specific parasites.

Distribution
Most authorities agree that Burchell’s Zebra has never occurred south of the Olifants river in South Africa. In the southern Africa sub-region they are found in the north and northeastern parts of the Koakoveld in Namibia, up to the Botswana border. They are widespread in Botswana north of Lake Ngami and Makgadigadi pan, and in the Tuli block. They are absent in the central plateau and eastern districts of Zimbabwe, but occur north and south of the plateau. Burchell’s Zebra are found in the north and eastern parts of Mpumalanga, parts of Gauteng, Northern province, North West province and parts of Kwazulu Natal. They also occur in parts of Swaziland. They are found south of the Zambezi in Mozambique but are absent in the south and more densely populated eastern parts of the country.

Habitat
The Burchell’s Zebra is a savanna species that is partial to open woodland, shrub and grassland where water is readily available. They avoid dense woodland if possible and although they occur in semi-arid areas, they are not found in true desert country. Their particular habitat preferences and water requirements often result in seasonal migrations.

Habits
Zebra are gregarious animals that form small family groups consisting of a stallion, one or two adult mares and foals of varying ages. Family group size averages seven to ten animals. While herding mares, a stallion keeps its head lowered and ears forward. Stallions that have no mares form bachelor groups or live alone. Family groups remain distinct even in large aggregations of zebra. There does not appear to be any social organization above that of family groups. Burchell’s Zebra are often seen in the company of blue wildebeest. This is because they both favour short grass areas. Zebra have loosely organized home ranges and readily move to wherever food water is available. There is quite a lot of group interaction and social grooming in zebra. They often lean against each other. Vocal communication is important in this species. Courting stallions “nicker”and animals whinny or snort by forcing air through the nostrils to warn of danger. When attacked by predators a breeding herd bunches up. If they run, the stallions hang back or position themselves on the flank to ward off predators, which they often do successfully. Scarred rumps from unsuccessful lion attacks attest to the effectiveness of their defensive kicks.

To their own detriment, zebra tend to be inquisitive, often returning to investigate a source of initial flight. This can sometime give a bowhunter a second chance if he has “spooked” a herd of zebra. Competition between rival stallions can sometimes erupt into full scale fights with biting, kicking and rearing. Burchell’s Zebra are not territorial.
Lion and hyena are their predators. Mortalities also occur through disease. Zebra are very partial to taking dust baths and it is common to find areas within their habitat where they roll in the sand or bare ground. Because they are preyed upon by lion, especially around waterholes, they are wary when approaching to drink.

Feeding and drinking
Zebra are mainly grazers, but occasionally browse on leaves and scrub. They also dig for grass rhizomes and corms during the dry season. They graze on short grass and are able to survive in areas with poor or coarse grass cover. Zebra have a strong, mobile upper lip which helps to channel food between the incisors. Two of their favourite grass species are Cynodon dactylon and Themeda triandra. They have been observed feeding on the singed leaves of mopane (Colophospermum mopane) and round leaf teak (dopperkiaat) – Pterocarpus rotundifolia. Zebra are very partial to green flushes that occur after a burn or rain. They also feed on the devil thorn Tribulus terestris, an herbaceous pioneer plant growing on disturbed or overgrazed ground, which is poisonous to sheep. They are very dependant on water and never wander far from waterholes. Zebra require approximately 14 litres of water per day to meet their physiological requirements but will drink an average of 21 litres at a time, as the drinking frequency is in the region of once every 36 hours. Zebra are not ruminants. They have a single stomach and a much enlarged portion of the large intestine – the caecum – fulfills the fermenting function of the four stomachs of ruminants. Zebra are referred to as hindgut fermenters.

Hunting the Zebra
” Trophy
Rug mounts make beautiful and eye-catching trophies with their starking contrasting black and white stripes. As the hide is the trophy in this animal it is important to ensure that field preparation and skinning are carried out professionally and thoroughly.

” Signs to look for:

o Vocalisation
If you have been following the series of articles on tracking you will recall that sign does not only include visual clues but also those picked up by the other senses of sound, smell , touch and taste. Zebra are very vocal animals and frequently betray their presence by “barking”, whinnying and snorting. These sounds can carry a long way in the bush and can lead to zebra long before there is a visual sighting. Listen for these signs.

o Tracks and droppings
The tracks of zebra are those of the typical horselike hoof. The general hoof structure is well known and should be familiar to anyone who has seen a horse. The horse family has one “toe”(the third) on each leg and only the tip of the toe (the hoof) comes into contact with the ground. The tracks of Burchell’s Zebra resemble those of a small horse. The length of the track is about 120 to 140 mm with the hind track being slightly longer and narrower. On hard ground only the edges of the hoof and the frog are visible. Zebra dung is kidney shaped with each individual pellet about 50mm in length. It is usually deposited randomly because zebra are not territorial.

o Grazing areas
Areas heavily grazed by zebra are often characterized by trampling and with the grass cropped fairly close to the ground. Signs of digging with hooves in search of underground corms and rhizomes can sometimes be observed.

o Dust baths and rubs
Zebra enjoy rolling in sandy areas and leave bare, dusty patches behind. They also sometimes choose a convenient object such as a rock or log to rub themselves on. Hair is left behind on the object.

 

” Hunting techniques:

Zebra are found in well grassed woodland or fairly open grassland. It is relatively easy to stalk up to zebra in woodland but can be quite difficult in open habitat. It is advantageous to the bowhunter that zebra are not easily spooked. They are inquisitive and sometimes stand to watch an approaching intruder. They might even approach closer to investigate. Even after they are stampeded they usually stop after running off a short distance. It is not unusual for them to return to the site of disturbance to investigate the source of their fright. Although zebra will allow you to approach them in open habitat, their flight distance is too far to fall within the bow range. It is therefore advisable to try, as far as possible, to approach without being seen, or to position yourself to intercept a herd along its direction of travel. Zebra have a keen sense of sight, hearing and smell. Always approach downwind if possible. Zebra are successfully hunted using spot-and-stalk and walk-and-stalk techniques, or from hides or elevated platforms. In open areas a ground blind or even hiding in a disused aardvark burrow can be used. The dependence of zebra on water makes waterholes and the approaches to them good ambush sites. A good hunter can sometimes call zebra in by mimicking the “kwa ha kwa ha ha”call.

Shot placement

Quertering-away and broadside shots into the heart-lung area should be the target area of choice. Frontal and rear end shots are not advised. When taking a broadside shot is careful of placing it too far forward as the shoulder blade (scapula) and upper bone of the foreleg (humerus) are quite substantial and will definitely have a detrimental effect on penetration. Concentrate on the top of the crease at the back of the foreleg or slightly behind it for good arrow placement. Zebra are fairly broad animals and arrow pass through is not always guaranteed. Incomplete pass through will result in a poorer blood spoor. Fortunately, the open to semi-open habitat frequented by zebra usually makes follow-up fairly straight forward after a good shot.

 

Follow up

Wait at least 30 minutes before following up after a heart-lung shot, two or three hours after a liver shot and ten to twelve hours before you begin looking for a gut-shot animal. Zebra have a fairly slow blood clotting time of about nine to eleven minutes. They therefore lose a lot of blood before the clotting process becomes effective, which works to the bowhunter’s advantage.

Choice of equipment

With the help of a good broadhead-tipped arrow and good shot placement, any efficient bow of 60 pounds or more will be able to dispatch a full grown zebra. Carbon, wooden and aluminium arrows have all been used with good effect when matched to the right bows. A complete arrow weight of at least 500 grains is recommended. The arrow-broadhead combination must be able to deliver a momentum of 0.4 or a kinetic energy of 60 to 70 foot pounds. Don’t go too light. A heavier arrow having higher momentum will penetrate better trough tissue and bone than a light arrow. A strong, well constructed, one-piece broadhead of high mechanical advantage and cut-on-impact point is suggested. Remember that two-blade broadheads generally have better penetration that three of four blades.

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