The Zebra
The zebra is undoubtedly a source of some confusion. His alternating stripes present an optical illusion. Observing them is difficult. One quickly looses track of whether they are black on white or rather, white on black.
                    - Jack Prelutsky

Stripes are haute couture! Specially on the African plains. As color-seeing humans, we can recognize a Zebra and easily pick its familiar black and white stripes against most natural backgrounds.

But for a moment, pretend you are a hungry Lion. You naturally cannot see colors, and view the world in shades of gray. If you saw a Zebra you might miss seeing her, specially if she stands very still. She might look like a thick patch of  tall grass, or scrub. The Zebra's stripes help her blend into the background. To help her live another day; that's why the Zebra wears such stylish stripes!

Photo by Peter Thomann; 1964; Nursing Zebra; Optical Illusions and the Visual Arts, J.B. Thurston, R.G. Carraher, 1966. ISBN: 0-442-28511-6