# Zebra! It's what's for dinner!- Maybe a little too TMIish for delicate stomachs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801 "2007-01-21T05:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/1 "2007-01-21T05:04:52Z")
[Zebra! It’s what’s for dinner!-](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRKpnkX99z0) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/2 "2007-01-21T05:57:59Z")
I get that it’s just meat, so sure, if you’re hungry why not but… The hell? Did the Discovery channel need some sort of ratings boost or something? That’s just totally random. “Why yes, I think that now that I’ve found this dead zebra, I’ll just get down on all fours and start ripping at it with my teeth. Ah, lovely lovely.” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/3 "2007-01-21T06:12:47Z")
I cannot be the only one who expected this to be about urine sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/4 "2007-01-21T06:49:13Z")
Well, I’ve had zebra. I’ve been by two restaurants serving it, one in Zambia maybe it was Zimbabwe) and one in Nairobi, Kenya. Granted, it wasn’t carrion (as far as I could tell). I had it at the place in Nairobi, which served about 10 different game animals, they said that none of them were endangered. It was all you could eat. Well, now I know how to tell if it is fresh or not. Although, I believe the lack of maggots can also indicate that it is very old. Can’t you make up a bit of Zebra skin stew? \*\* Purl\*\*, I’ve never had a urine sandwich. It seems like it would be better (feasible?) in a slurpee. Meh, zebra tasted like Phar Lap. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/5 "2007-01-21T07:03:22Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] **Purl** , I’ve never had a urine sandwich. It seems like it would be better (feasible?) in a slurpee. [/QUOTE] Um, I am the only one who thought this was about urine sandwiches because I am short an accurate long term memory. I was thinking of [**Giraffe** and his consumption of a urine-drenched sandwich](http://208.100.26.199/sdmb/showthread.php?t=190370&highlight=giraffe+urine). Right continent, wrong animal. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/6 "2007-01-21T07:42:03Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] I get that it’s just meat, so sure, if you’re hungry why not but… The hell? Did the Discovery channel need some sort of ratings boost or something? That’s just totally random. “Why yes, I think that now that I’ve found this dead zebra, I’ll just get down on all fours and start ripping at it with my teeth. Ah, lovely lovely.” [/QUOTE] Some context from the Youtube description: > [@](#): > > On the show “Man Vs Wild”, he intentionally gets lost in popular vacations sites to show you how to get out alive. This clip is from the Africa show, where he parachutes into the savannas of Kenya. Keep in mind he hasn’t eaten anything in a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/7 "2007-01-21T07:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Some context from the Youtube description: [/QUOTE] Eh…surviving in the wild is one thing. But given that the guy has a knife, I’m not seeing much utility in yanking on the sucker with your teeth beyond ratings. (I would also note that the guy left behind a pretty good chunk of potential meat, if he was really starving–not to mention trying to cook it rather than going for zebra sashimi.) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/8 "2007-01-21T16:52:05Z")
[QUOTE=Miss Purl McKnittington] Um, I am the only one who thought this was about urine sandwiches because I am short an accurate long term memory. I was thinking of [**Giraffe** and his consumption of a urine-drenched sandwich](http://208.100.26.199/sdmb/showthread.php?t=190370&highlight=giraffe+urine). Right continent, wrong animal. [/QUOTE] 😕 :eek: 😃 Hot damn – somehow I never read that thread before. Classic! But dammit, the link to the photos goes to a “fuggedaboudit” page now. Pictures! I wanna see the pictures! Hey, **Giraffe** , you still got the pix? Post 'em where we can see 'em, pretty please? Please please oh pleeeeaaassse??? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/9 "2007-01-21T16:57:28Z")
Keel de Zeeba! ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/10 "2007-01-21T17:00:30Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] Well, I’ve had zebra. I’ve been by two restaurants serving it, one in Zambia maybe it was Zimbabwe) and one in Nairobi, Kenya… [/QUOTE] By any chance was the place in Nairobi the restaraunt Carnivore? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/11 "2007-01-21T17:11:25Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] Eh…surviving in the wild is one thing. But given that the guy has a knife, I’m not seeing much utility in yanking on the sucker with your teeth beyond ratings. (I would also note that the guy left behind a pretty good chunk of potential meat, if he was really starving–not to mention trying to cook it rather than going for zebra sashimi.) [/QUOTE] Have you ever tried to cut through a tough bit of silverskin on a steak? Pain in the ass. I’ve been known to just pick the sucker up and yank on it with my teeth. And why cook it? It was safely encased in skin, so he knew no fecal matter had gotten on it to make e. coli a worry. Frankly, that’s the only reason I cook my steaks, and even there I just sear them on the outside and leave the inside raw, because the inside is safe. It’s called “rare”. Cooking it only means more calories expended finding, cutting and laying a fire, and is only worth it with questionable meat. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/12 "2007-01-21T17:37:39Z")
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy] Hey, **Giraffe** , you still got the pix? [/QUOTE] I don’t think I do, actually. That was at least two hard drives ago and I don’t think I backed them up. (And I can’t say it’s the sort of thing that makes me eager to go sorting through old backup CDs.) You’d have to talk to **Mullinator**. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/13 "2007-01-21T17:37:44Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] And why cook it? It was safely encased in skin, so he knew no fecal matter had gotten on it to make e. coli a worry. Frankly, that’s the only reason I cook my steaks, and even there I just sear them on the outside and leave the inside raw, because the inside is safe. It’s called “rare”. Cooking it only means more calories expended finding, cutting and laying a fire, and is only worth it with questionable meat. [/QUOTE] I find it kind of hard to believe that wild zebra muscle tissue couldn’t potentially harbor any moderately-to-hideously-debilitating parasitic organisms. On the other hand, I’ve never eaten raw zebra either, so I guess I could be wrong about that. On the other other hand, I also find it hard to believe that a person would willingly chow down on a dead zebra without having any idea what might have killed it, so I wonder if yon conveniently edible zebra carcass might just possibly have been planted beforehand courtesy of Kenya Bob’s Farm Fresh Zebra Ranch or whatever. Not that nature-type programs have a history of staging such events for dramatic effect, of course. Also, I think the official slogan for the National Zebra Council these days is “Zebra-- the other white–no, sorry, it’s black-- opps, nevermind, yes it is white–meat.” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/14 "2007-01-21T17:50:34Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Have you ever tried to cut through a tough bit of silverskin on a steak? [/quote] He didn’t appear to be having too much of a problem slicing the sucker up. And if he’d just carved **all** the neck flesh and meat off, rolled it up, and pocketed it, I wouldn’t see any issue with him later using his teeth to rip the meat off the skin. Practicality did not appear to be the number one concern. He abandoned 90% of all the meat there was to gain off the animal. > [@](#): > > And why cook it? It was safely encased in skin, so he knew no fecal matter had gotten on it to make e. coli a worry. Most prey animals that get killed are taken down because they’re weaker than the rest of their herd. He verified that it wasn’t rotten, and as you say it doesn’t have E. Coli, but I doubt he has any way to know that the animal wasn’t carrying any ten diseases that may be transferable to humans. He sure doesn’t look like a local who would have a gut resistant to the local virii. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/15 "2007-01-21T17:57:30Z")
That’s the best you could find on YouTube? Raw horse meat is a delicacy in Japan. I’ve had it. I didn’t gnaw it off a dead carcass, but it wasn’t that bad. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/16 "2007-01-21T18:01:43Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] He didn’t appear to be having too much of a problem slicing the sucker up. And if he’d just carved **all** the neck flesh and meat off, rolled it up, and pocketed it, I wouldn’t see any issue with him later using his teeth to rip the meat off the skin. [/quote] I guess I saw a different clip than you, 'cause I did see him struggling to gracefully hack off a hunk before he just gave up and used his teeth to tug at it. Knives are good for what they’re good at, but tearing isn’t one of their better tasks. > [@](#): > > Practicality did not appear to be the number one concern. He abandoned 90% of all the meat there was to gain off the animal. Again, it’s a show about survival, not substinence. If he had a family or tribe to bring the haunch (the neck was on the other end) back to that would trade food with him or care for him when he’s ill or injured, it’d be worth it to spend all the calories lugging it with him. As it was, he cut off another serving’s worth, saying he’d pocket it and eat it before sleeping - just enough to not worry about having to salt, smoke or otherwise preserve it before going bad, and light enough to not be a caloric negative. Preserving food is a lot of work, and while I think that would make a fascinating show, it’s a different show. If the guy’s willing to chow down on vulture food, he’s likely to find other food for tomorrow that doesn’t cost him as much to keep around. > [@](#): > > Most prey animals that get killed are taken down because they’re weaker than the rest of their herd. He verified that it wasn’t rotten, and as you say it doesn’t have E. Coli, but I doubt he has any way to know that the animal wasn’t carrying any ten diseases that may be transferable to humans. He sure doesn’t look like a local who would have a gut resistant to the local virii. Possible, I suppose. I just don’t personally know of other communicable, human affecting parasites/virii, etc that lurk in muscle tissue and would be killed by heat. Most parasites are gut or artery based, and most virii either gut or respiratory, no? What am I forgetting about? ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/17 "2007-01-21T18:07:44Z")
Ya know, looking at that video more closely, I’m going to step out on a limb and make a more definitive call of bullshit on that “I appear to have just randomly stumbled upon a fresh lion kill” claim. Check out that carcass-- it’s half gone already. Where’s the rest of it? Did the lions just extract the legs and entrails, then drag them over to that distant copse to devour them in the shade, while abandoning the rest of the kill to vultures? Lions managed to scrape away the entire lower body (leaving the spinal column and ribcage still perfectly intact and articulated) before the carcass could attract flies? I’m no taphonomist, but something smells rotten here, and it ain’t zebra colon. ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/18 "2007-01-21T18:13:05Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] That’s the best you could find on YouTube? Raw horse meat is a delicacy in Japan. I’ve had it. I didn’t gnaw it off a dead carcass, but it wasn’t that bad. [/QUOTE] Raw horse meat ICE CREAM is apparently a delicacy in Japan.[http://mainichi.jp.msn.com/footer/mdn.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0](http://mainichi.jp.msn.com/footer/mdn.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0) So arre squid and eggplant ice cream, among a lot of other revolting/fascinating flavors. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/19 "2007-01-21T18:33:20Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] I guess I saw a different clip than you, 'cause I did see him struggling to gracefully hack off a hunk before he just gave up and used his teeth to tug at it. Knives are good for what they’re good at, but tearing isn’t one of their better tasks. [/quote] Hands? > [@](#): > > If he had a family or tribe to bring the haunch (the neck was on the other end) back to that would trade food with him or care for him when he’s ill or injured, it’d be worth it to spend all the calories lugging it with him. I didn’t say to take the whole head. He took about 2 or 3 cubic inches of meat, after eating maybe 1. His pockets could probably have held up to two fist sized chunks (8 cubic inches, about?) If he was willing to dangle more meat from his belt, then that would have been even more–and still hardly what you would say is an honerous amount of extra weight to carry about. As you say, though, true he might not want to take more than he can eat, but one small strip for a full sized man to survive on in the middle of the desert is not it. I eat beef jerkey as a snack bigger than that and I’m a scrawny dude who sits at a computer all day. > [@](#): > > Possible, I suppose. I just don’t personally know of other communicable, human affecting parasites/virii, etc that lurk in muscle tissue and would be killed by heat. Most parasites are gut or artery based, and most virii either gut or respiratory, no? What am I forgetting about? I don’t know is the point. If you’re going to tell people to make sure they don’t eat raw meat, and then have a show where a guy is eating it happily, I’d like to have something explaining that you only need to worry about meat near the gut, or that has been exposed to air. I would generally assume that the blood stream would be a pretty popular place for diseases to ride about, but I honestly wouldn’t know. But not knowing, and not being told, how am I to know whether I should feel fine to start gnawing on my frozen pork butt from the supermarket? How am I to know that the guy isn’t just an idiot? You can’t exactly say that modern TV would never have someone doing something stupid like firing a rocket from his anus–cause apparently they do. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801/20 "2007-01-21T18:38:42Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Ya know, looking at that video more closely, I’m going to step out on a limb and make a more definitive call of bullshit on that “I appear to have just randomly stumbled upon a fresh lion kill” claim. [/QUOTE] Eh, they probably had scouters searching for something like it with a local huntsman, and then cleaned it up a bit. But I wouldn’t be too suprised to find it in similar condition as that. Life doesn’t continue long by being wasteful (except humans of course.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zebra-its-whats-for-dinner-maybe-a-little-too-tmiish-for-delicate-stomachs/388801.md?page=2)