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n this Moment of Science Don has another get-rich-quick scheme that doesn't pan out.
Don: [WHISTLING] Yaël: You sure sound happy today, Don. D: That's because I've come up with a scheme that's going to make me filthy rich. Y: So let's hear it. D: Zebras! Y: Zebras? D: Yes, Zebras! Think about it. There are all these zebras on the African plains, just running around and wasting their time. People like to ride horses, right? So why not Zebras? Y: You're going to domesticate zebras. D: You got it. And since we're buddies, I'll even let you in on the deal. For a small investment, of course. Y: Thanks Don, but no thanks. After all, domesticating zebras is nothing new. D: It's not? Y: No. In fact, people have been trying to domesticate zebras for about a hundred years. D: So the zebra market has already been cornered. Y: Not exactly. There is no zebra market, because zebras can't be domesticated. D: Why not? Aren't they pretty much horses with stripes? Y: No. Compared to horses, zebras are pretty unpredictable. They can be very aggressive and even vicious as they get older. Plus, their body shape doesn't take a saddle very well. Trying to train and ride a zebra is pretty dangerous. D: So it's impossible? Y: Not impossible. Over the years some zebras have been successfully trained, but as a group they just don't lend themselves to domestication. Some animal trainers and breeders have created zebra hybrids, such as the "zorse," a cross between a zebra and a horse, and the "zonkey", which is what you get when you cross a zebra and a donkey. D: That sounds slightly creepy. Y: Yeah. So far there's no specific purpose to creating zebra hybrids; they're not stronger or more useful than regular horses and donkeys. D: So maybe we should just leave the zebras alone. Y: They'd probably appreciate it.
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URL: http://amos.indiana.edu/library/scripts/zebra.html Writer: Jeremy Shere Comments: amos [at] indiana.edu Copyright 2004, The Trustees of Indiana University Design by HomeMadeMedia |