

Visitors to Gaza’s Marah Zoo could be forgiven for thinking that something was a little fishy about the zoo’s only zebra, it wasn’t a zebra.

Due to economic restraints, the impoverished zoo was not able to afford a real zebra, but rather than let that spoil things, zoo keepers got creative and put together the next best thing.

Zoo director Mahmud Berghat explains:

It’s really a painted donkey, we cut its hair short and then painted the stripes. But don’t tell anyone, the children love him.

The striped donkey has been popular amongst school children from the area who have so far not been able to tell the difference.

—Thanks Simon