Horse Riders Help Baby Zebra Swept Downriver Find His Way Home

A group on safari on Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana had the most incredible experience when they encountered a baby zebra in trouble—and helped him reunite with his family.

Laura, who runs Riding Africa, explained that the Motloutse River was in full flood after a month of heavy rains. As they rode next to the water’s edge, one of the riders spotted a baby animal. Laura shared what the horse riders did next.

“At one of our stops to look at the flooding Motloutse river, a tiny zebra foal came trotting up the bank towards us. It must have fallen in the river upstream and had been washed downstream. Miraculously, it had managed to pull itself out of the water on to the bank. Bewildered, soaked and dazed, it walked right up to the horse riders and horses.”

The foal staggered toward one of the riders holding a camera. But then, he seemed to hear something, the hoof beats of a horse named Cefas.

“As it passed her, it seemed to hear the hoof beats of Rupert’s horse, Cefas, climbing over the rocks. The foal immediately moved towards Cefas and climbed up the rocks to join him. We can only imagine, it thought it had heard its mother?”

The riders gathered around Rupert and Cefas, and the foal began to follow them. Hoping to find the foal’s family, they searched the area.

“From the top of the rocky ridge, Leo could see two other distressed-looking zebra on the other side. They must have been the foal’s parents. The only way to get to the two zebras was by going across and around the rocky hill. The zebra foal came with the ride, and walked amongst the horses. It constantly looked to Cefas for a lead.”

The reunion wasn’t simple—it involved a few chaotic and tense moments—but ultimately, the foal was joyfully reunited with his family.