SearchWhy would you paint a cow to look like a zebra?
Turns out it could save on pesticide.
Zebra stripes are considered to be great camouflage, especially in a herd where many animals congregate together. A group of researchers in Japan decided to test the theory that stripes might deter flies.
Six Japanese black cows were used in the experiment. Two were painted with black and white stripes to mimic zebras. Others were painted with black stripes and another group were left all black.
Using cameras to document the findings, the researchers counted the number of biting flies landing on their cows and they also documented fly-repelling behaviors such as head throws, leg stamps and so on.
The number of biting flies on the black and white striped cows was considerably less than the other two groups.
Biting flies are a serious pest affecting livestock and most farmers will use pesticide to reduce the number of flies. The conclusion of the study suggests that painting cows with zebra stripes could reduce fly attacks on livestock and so reduce the need for pesticides.
Source: PLOS ONE
