MEET JOE

My inspiration For ARBEZ™ ("ZEBRA" backwards) and the Change Your Stripes™ theme came to me while on safari in South Africa. I was looking for my own four-legged friend. Yes, I own a zebra! My husband is from South Africa and his parents bought me a zebra as a wedding present. My zebra lives on their farm with them in South Africa. As you can imagine, every time I go to South Africa, I want to find my zebra.

Well, guess what: finding one zebra in a herd of thirty is a lot like finding the right candidate in a herd of thirty. Even though a zebra's stripes are as unique as your fingerprints, at first blush they all look alike ... just like a handful of job seekers. That got me to thinking: standing out from the herd is the most important thing for you to do as a candidate. You really need to set yourself apart from your competition. If you're a zebra, you can roll in the dirt to change your stripes. What about as a job seeker?

I then realized, while sitting under that hot African sun, that this is what I do each and every day as a job hunt coach: I help people stand out against the herd to get the career they want - faster.

by Catherine, Chief Stripe Changer

Zebra FAQ

Are zebras all the same? Can a zebra be tamed? What is a "Zebroid"? Why do they have stripes? How can I buy a zebra?

Zebras have walked the grasslands of Africa for the last 4 million years. They are native to eastern, southern and southwestern Africa. They can be found grazing from thorny scrublands to wide open plains to coastal mountains.

• Swahili name: Punda Milia

• Weight: 480-990lbs

• Lifespan: 40 years in captivity

• Gestation: 12-13 months

• Predators: Man, lion, cheetah, hyena, leopard, hunting dogs

• Endangered species: Vast protection efforts have been undertaken in this century, and continue to fight against shrinking habitat as well as continued hunting and poaching

Are zebras all the same?

No. Each stripe is unique - as unique as a person’s fingerprints. There are three primary species remaining (despite great attempts at extinction through poaching for skins and hunting for meat), with significant differences in habitat and markings, as well as size. They do not interbreed. The Plains Zebra are the most common, and can be found traveling the Serengeti plains in herds of thousands. The Grevy’s Zebra are the largest species and can be found in Kenya and Ethiopa. These zebras are suffering the greatest from poaching for meat and skin and are teetering toward extinction. The third species, the Mountain Zebra, can be found in southern and southwestern Africa and, while on the endangered species list as well, it is making a slow comeback thanks to aggressive conservation efforts.

Why do they have stripes?

The answer to this question depends on whom you ask. Whatever the answer, it is fascinating. There are several popular theories:

• Theory #1: Camouflage. At first glance, not only do all zebras look alike, but it can be difficult to tell where one zebra begins and another one ends … especially when you are a lion or a hyena in full pursuit at dawn. A herd might look like one enormous blob of changing stripes … making it difficult to single out and attack one zebra at a time. Vertical striping also helps zebras hide in grass (this is especially helpful against their main predator, the lion, as lions are color blind). Admittedly, no zoologist has ever documented proof of a lion looking particularly daunted or confused when in hot pursuit.

• Theory #2: Mate selection. While humans may have a tough time telling one zebra from another, some experts believe that zebras can and are selective when choosing a mate.

• Theory #3: Confusing the ever-pesky tsetse fly. A more recent theory posits that even the bloodsucking tsetse fly can be confused by the disruptive coloration. It is not known if wearing striped clothing will help humans avoid bloodsucking flies.

• Theory #4: Beating the heat. It seems that Plains zebra coats can dissipate up to 70% of incoming solar radiation

Can you tame a zebra?

Yes. No. Well, maybe. Unlike their closest relatives, horses and donkeys, zebras have never been truly domesticated. Attempts have been made to train zebras for riding. However, there are tales (and photos!) of zebras being tamed and ridden.

In England, the zoological collector Lord Rothschild frequently used zebras to draw a carriage.Captain Horace Hayes (circa 1899) saddled and bridled a Mountain zebra in less than one hour, but was unable to give it a "mouth" during the two days it was in his possession. He did manage to get it to behave well under a circus tent, but was unable to control it when it spotted freedom outside the tent walls.

In 1907, Rosendo Ribeiro, the first doctor in Nairobi, Kenya, used a riding zebra for house-calls. In the mid 1800s Governor George Grey imported zebras to New Zealand from his previous posting in South Africa, and used them to pull his carriage on his privately owned Kawau Island.

Why the desire to tame a zebra? Aside from the fun factor, zebras have better resistance than horses do to African diseases (Zebras are resistant to sleeping sickness, whereas pure-bred horses and ponies are not, and it was hoped that the zebra mules would inherit this resistance.) However, zebras have not proven to be very accommodating when humans attempt to woo them into submission. For one thing, zebras tend to panic under stress. For another, zebras are rather unpredictable and aside from safety and food, nobody on record knows what the magic carrot is for these horses in pajamas. The solution? ZEBROIDS. Leave it to man to make it work. Although zebras will never interbreed themselves, people figured out that they could cross a zebra with a mule, a donkey or a horse and get a relatively stable, reliable work animal. These so-called “zebroids” have been bred since the 19th century. In general, the sire is a zebra stallion. Offspring of a donkey sire and zebra mare, called a zebra hinny, do exist but are rare.

What is a Zebroid?

Zebroid is the generic name for all of the zebra hybrids. There is generally no distinction made as to which zebra species is used.

• Zebra (stallion) + horse (mare): zorse, zebra mule, zebrule or golden zebra

• Zebra (stallion) + pony (mare): zony

• Zebra (stallion) + Shetland pony (mare): zetland

• Zebra (stallion) + any ass species (jenny): zebrass

• Zebra (stallion) + donkey (jenny): zedonk, zeedonk, zonkey, zebronkey, zebadonk

• Zebra (mare) + donkey (sire): zebret, zebrinny

• Zebra (mare) + horse (stallion): hebra

Who eats zebras?

Man. Modern man has had great impact on the zebra population since the 19th century. Zebras were, and still are, hunted mainly for their skins. The Cape mountain zebra was hunted to near extinction with less than 100 individuals by the 1930s. Today, due to aggressive conservation efforts, the population has increased to over 700. One subspecies, the quagga, is now extinct. Other predators: Lion, cheetah, hyena, leopard, hunting dogs. How long have they been around? Zebras were the second species to diverge from the earliest proto-horses, after the asses, around 4 million years ago.

How do zebras talk to one another?

They bark! Zebras communicate with each other with high pitched barks (when a predator is sneaking around), snorting (when they are tense) and whinnying. Nonverbal communication includes nuzzling, and lots of ear manipulation (calm or friendly = straight up. Scared = pushed forward. Angry, pulled backward.)

What is the culture of a herd?

Family groups maintain strong bonds over many years. Mutual grooming helps to preserve these bonds. Strong hierarchical structure – with one stallion leading the herd, and females in strict pecking order. The dominant female always leads the herd, with her foal directly behind her, and the lowest-ranking mare is always relegated to the last spot in line (the closest to the lions). Although there is no question of his dominance, the stallion does not bother himself with the female in-fighting and tends to stand and walk apart. Protection: They take care of their own. Herds adjust their pace to care for the elderly and weak. When one family member is attacked, the herd rallies around them in a circle and faces out to challenge the predator and bite and kick as necessary to defend the herd.

Raising up the herd

When a new foal is born, it can stand and walk within mere minutes. A mare keeps her foal isolated for the first 2-3 days to ensure a strong bond. Male zebras leave the herd somewhere between 1-4 years, and join bachelor herds until they are strong enough to steal fillies from other herds.

How can I buy a zebra?

In South Africa: www.google.co.za then do a search on “Game for sale” or “Game capture” In USA:

Not sure that would be kind, unless you are a zoologist with a lot of money and land, live in San Diego area and buy a herd at a time. But who am I to judge? Your local zoo or wild animal park should have more information on obtaining exotic animals.