Paint the hair like a zebra for? Why is this the way to protect the environment?
According to a recent study published on PLOS ONE, scientists came up with a strange project: to paint a cow resembling a zebra, in an effort to protect the environment.
To better understand this story, we will first pass zebras. You know, the most mysterious animal in Africa is not leopards or crocodiles or lions, but zebras. Because until 2019, science still cannot know for sure what the purpose of this striped coat is.
All of the explanations given lie in the hypothesis, the most common of which is that zebra stripes are responsible for diffusing heat, helping zebras adjust their temperature in hot weather in Africa. However, this assumption has been shown to be incorrect through experimentation.
After the above experiment, there are 2 other theories considered quite plausible related to this striped coat. Firstly, the striped coat is a very special method of camouflage, creating visual illusions when they run away and making pursuers dizzy. This phenomenon is called “wheel effect”, as described in the video below.
The second hypothesis concerns the distraction of blood-sucking bugs: the light reflected in the areas of black and white fur is different, so the insects will have positioning disturbances and they will escape the fur.
Based on these two assumptions, Japanese scientists came up with the idea of painting fur for zebra-like cows. Specifically, experts painted zebra paint for one group of cows, painted black stripes for another group of black cows, and left one group unpainted. They then proceeded to observe their repellent behavior (wagging tail, ears), number of flies and insects, counting each perched and recording.
The results showed that the “zebra” cows had a 50% lower fly attack rate than the black and unpainted group (the other two groups had no difference). In addition, the number of times to perform the “fly away” behavior of the group of zebra cows is less than 20% because they are not bothered by insects.
But what does this have to do with protecting the environment?
It turned out to be completely related. The research team believes that this result can be tested on a large scale, since current methods of killing flies are mainly pesticides.
Zoning paint for cows is not only cheaper, but also less toxic, which makes them healthier and does not pollute the environment.
“Flies are a pretty serious problem for the livestock industry, and can cost them both financially and their productivity.” – said the team.
“We realize that painting cows like zebras can reduce the rate of fly attacks by up to 50%. It is an excellent alternative to pesticides, improving the quality of life of cows. And is not harmful to humans. Above all, it suppresses the resistance of pests and diseases. “
