Just had to paint this little guy, I have a fascination for the gracious creatures. Here is just one of the many thousands of Zebras we saw on the plains of the Masai Mara. The young Zebra has an Ox-Pecker on its back in search of parasites and insects, its a mutual living arrangement with benefits to both parties. The Ox-Pecker gets everywhere, all nooks and grannies and on most animals in Africa.
We were very privileged to see vast amounts of Zebras during our trip along with many many more species large and small.
The little guy really caught my eye as you could see he was aware of the Ox-pecker rummaging in to his hair, tugging away at the fluffy mound on his rear. The photo I took just prior to the one i used as reference for this painting, had the young guy with head turned right back on himself looking a little disgusted, the bird had a beak full of hair, he wasn’t really amused at all but then thats part of the deal…….
Painted in Acrylics, size 400mm x 500mm