A peculiar development has recently emerged in Kenya where local conservationists reported the birth of a donkey-zebra hybrid.
According to the Kenya-based Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an organization that seeks to conserve and protect local wildlife, last year their SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit "moved a wayward female zebra from community land back to a protected area", and earlier this year, it turned out that she gave birth to a "highly unusual hybrid between a zebra and donkey".
"The gestation period of a zebra is twelve months, so it’s not difficult to connect the dots. During her time living within the community last year, she had obviously become acquainted with an amorous donkey", the Trust explained in an article published on their website. "The zonkey combines the sturdy body of its donkey sire and the striped legs of its zebra mother, which makes for a striking creature. While it should otherwise lead a normal life, zonkeys are mules, meaning that it will be unable to successfully breed once it reaches maturity".
The organization also noted that both the mother and her offspring are "thriving", and seem quite content to graze side-by-side - "a sight that makes us all stop and marvel at the wonders of nature".
