Why are some farmers painting zebra-like stripes on cattle?

Videos have been circulating on social media showing Uzbek farmers painting zebra-like black and white stripes on the bodies of cattle. This method can help protect livestock from biting insects.

This method was first tested in scientific studies conducted in Japan. In a study published in 2019 in the journal PLOS ONE, Japanese scientists painted zebra-like black and white stripes on the bodies of cattle. In an experiment involving six Japanese Black cattle, the number of biting flies landing on the striped animals decreased by nearly 50 percent compared to unstriped cattle.

Scientists also observed that the striped cattle made fewer movements to fend off flies, such as shaking their heads, flicking their tails, and stamping their feet. According to the researchers, zebra-like stripes can make it difficult for flies to land on the animal's body.

This idea was later put into practice in certain regions of Japan. In 2024, it was reported that farmers in Yamagata Prefecture painted black and white stripes on cattle in an attempt to protect them from blood-sucking insects.

Therefore, the videos spreading on social media in Uzbekistan can also be linked to this method.