Oftentimes, these exotic prints serve as camouflage so the animal can hide from predators. Sadly, such beautiful animals are also poached by hunters who use their furs for clothing and rugs, which has led to many of these wild animals becoming endangered.
There are several theories for why zebras have evolved to have striped coats. One of the lines of thinking is that it allows them to blend into long grass to avoid predation. The stripes blend into a sort of gray colour at a distance, making them difficult to spot.
The stripes may also "dazzle" their predators, because the properties of black and white stripes can give the illusion of movement. If there are many zebra huddled together, some moving, some not, it may be difficult for a predator to lock on to its prey.
It could be some sort of deterrent to stop bugs and other pests, because they can less successfully land on striped patterns.
