Posted on 04/29/2005 2:03:01 PM PDT by MississippiMasterpiece
ST. THOMAS, Barbados - It's male. But what is it? A zonkey? A deebra? That's the debate in Barbados since a zebra gave birth to a foal sired by a donkey.
Alex was born April 21, a milk-chocolate brown creature with the black stripes of a zebra on his ears and legs. His face looks more like a horse, with a distinctive black "V" patch on the forehead.
"It's really funny and a little bit freaky," said Natalie Harvey, a 29-year-old waitress. "I was stunned to hear about such a weird thing happening here."
While zebra hybrids are not uncommon, most Barbadians have never seen anything like Alex.
His mother, Allison, is one of two zebras brought to the Caribbean island from Botswana, in southern Africa, in the early 1990s. The other is George and both live at Highland, a six-acre ranch where goats, sheep, ducks and donkeys roam free.
George, however, suffered a long illness, and Allison became friendly with a donkey.
"We knew she was with foal but were not sure who the father was," said Philip Atwell, the head of Highland ranch.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Donkeys are much smarter and can remember what they have been taught for years, a zebra has to be worked almost every day or it goes back to being wild again.
A zonkey? A deebra?
It doesn't matter, it's too cute for words ;-)
A ZeeDonk is correct! The feller down the road from me had some a couple of years ago.
Ringling Brothers has several of these animals that travel with the circus.
FWIW, they call them "Zonkeys."
I just think they're cute.
Regards,
Zebras are nasty enough without putting donkey blood in them.
Gimme your tots.
A mule (hybrid of a horse and ass) is un-sexed, sterile. Is this zebra/donkey cross going to be able to sire offspring?
If my not so reliable memory serves, they are sometimes referred to as Quaggas, although technically the Quagga is an extinct varient of the plains zebra.
The Sesame Street Song... keeps running through my head....
One of these is not like the other one...
I don't rememeber anything like that, but I think you are a Wharpoise, a strange combo of a porpoise & whale. OK, more likely, you are just trying to "warp us".
If I were at work, I have a very disturbing Bert & ernie pic I would post to your comment. no go here at home on dialup
I'll wait until Monday.
;-)
Hoo Rah, one of my buds is alive tonight!
We are all over at the Alcohol makes your brain swell thread.
Guide me! I'm swelling!
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