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Zonkey Alert! A Rare Hybrid of Donkey and Zebra Spotted in Kenya Both the zebra mother and the zonkey baby are safe in the wildlife premises and have been kept in an area away from any predator. Trending Desk

Last Updated: April 11, 2020, 3:55 PM IST

April 11, 2020, 3:55 PM IST FOLLOW US ON: Facebook Twitter Instagram Telegram Google News A Kenyan organization, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was taken by surprise when they recently spotted a zonkey – a hybrid of a female zebra and male donkey. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust shared the incident on its Facebook page. It also revealed the circumstances and series of incidents that led the zebra into their premises. “Last year, our SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit moved a wayward female zebra from community land back to a protected area. It was an uneventful translocation and the zebra has been loving life since,” mentioned the official post.

The female zebra made itself comfortable within the new home. However, when the authorities recently spotted a zonkey following her, they couldn’t help but capture the special moment.

Since a zebra has a gestation period of 12 months, it is being speculated that the zebra might have had an unusual mating with a donkey before moving in the wildlife trust.

The zonkey has the body of a donkey while it has striped legs like its zebra mother. However, despite being a very rare sighting, the zonkey will not be able to breed once it reaches maturity, just like other mules.

Meanwhile, both the zebra mother and the zonkey baby are safe in the wildlife premises and have been kept in an area away from any predator.

It is to be noted that both zebra and donkey belong to the same genus Equus, making it possible for them to mate.

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