March 10. We spent this afternoon in the lab learning how to do this week’s research. We learned how to use a range finder to calculate the distance between where we are and where a zebra or another animal is, how to use a GPS system to record the geographic location of the animal, and how to record the data in the field so that it can be entered into a computer database in the lab later on. The part we had the most fun learning was how to identify individual zebras by their stripes. This is done by photographing the hind end of the zebra from the right side and then identifying the pattern of its stripes according to several known pattern types. For instance, a plain black stripe is called a bar, a black stripe that begins as a bar and then splits into two stripes as it moves away from the zebra’s tail is called a “V”. Two black stripes that begin at the tail and then merge to form a bar is a “Y”. And there’s more! It can get pretty tricky! By identifying the pattern and entering it into a computer database, we can find out if the zebra we saw is a new one, or one that has been seen before. Each time a zebra is seen, more data about it is collected, such as where and when it was seen, if there were other animals around, and how far away from the other animals the zebra was. This will help the scientists find out what other animals the zebra is sharing its habitat with, as well as what animals it is competing with for food and water. So we will be spending several days this next week looking closely at zebra butts! Sounds like fun, no?