Botswana and Tanzania 2010

Zebra tend to stay with wildebeest because the wildebeest are very good at smelling water, but very bad at finding it because of their poor eyesight. That's where the zebra come in - they can find water once the wildebeest set the general direction. Zebra, being much smarter than wildebeest, lead everyone to the water, but then stay back and let the wildebeest be the first to drink. That way, predators pick off the wildebeest and tend to leave the zebra alone when they go to drink a bit later.

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Zebra tend to stay with wildebeest because the wildebeest are very good at smelling water, but very bad at finding it because of their poor eyesight. That's where the zebra come in - they can find water once the wildebeest set the general direction. Zebra, being much smarter than wildebeest, lead everyone to the water, but then stay back and let the wildebeest be the first to drink. That way, predators pick off the wildebeest and tend to leave the zebra alone when they go to drink a bit later.

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