Burchell's zebras graze mainly in open, short-grass savannah. They can tolerate somewhat tall grass and sparsely wooded conditions however, which gives them a greater geographical range than many of the other African grazing animals. Zebras therefore tend to be the first species to utilise an area, and they are followed by wildebeests and gazelles after they have trampled and cropped the grass short. At night, however, zebras stay in areas with shorter grass, and one of the group is awake at all times on the lookout for predators.

Male and female zebras are very similar in appearance. Shoulder height is about 1.4 meters, with weight varying between 290 and 340kg. Males usually have thicker necks than females. Burchell's zebras can be distinguished from mountain zebras by the possession of "shadow stripes" on the back and hindquarters, and the absence of a dewlap. Zebras' striping patterns are very variable. In some areas the stripes are bold and cover the whole body. In other regions stripes are lighter or absent on the belly and lower legs. No two zebras have identical striping patterns.

Burchell's zebras live in permanent small family groups made up of a stallion and one to several mares and their foals. Zebras have been known to kill hyenas with a kick. One of the adult mares (usually the oldest) has the important task of leading the family as they move between areas in order to maintain closeness to available drinking water. Many family groups can come together to form a herd, and herds of zebras often graze in association with herds of other species, such as wildebeests. This grouping of large numbers of animals is protective because it lowers the odds that any particular individual will become the target of a predator.

Zebras are grazers, eating over 50 different species of grasses. They also occasionally browse, taking herbs, leaves, and twigs.  Most importantly of all, Burchell's zebras are abundant when you hunt them with South African Hunting Safaris.