What Does “A Cohort of Zebra” Mean?
“Cohort” is a general term for an organized, associated group, and it fits zebra reasonably well given their genuine social structure. Plains zebras in particular live in stable family groups called harems, typically one stallion, several mares, and their foals, that stay together consistently, often for years, a level of social stability that stands out among African grazing animals.
These family groups will often join together into much larger herds, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or more, particularly during migration or at especially good grazing grounds, while still maintaining their smaller family-unit structure within the larger mass. “Cohort” works reasonably well describing either scale, a smaller stable family group or the larger aggregated herd it might temporarily join, without carrying the more specific visual imagery of terms like “dazzle” or “stripe” found elsewhere on this list.
Example: “A cohort of zebra moved as a tight family unit within the much larger migrating herd.”
Related: Collective Nouns for Mammals · What Is a Group of Zebra Called?