by Divya Bhardwaj

Last week, a baby zonkey was born at the Chyulu Hills National Park in Kenya. As the name would suggest, a zonkey is a rare zebra-donkey hybrid. According to the National Park, sometime last year, the mother zebra came across a local cattle herd and “obviously [became] acquainted with an amorous donkey.”

According to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, “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 some donkeys look more like their zebra parent and others resemble a donkey more closely, all zonkeys have zebra-striped legs. Pictured below is a zonkey from Italy whose stripes cover his back, unlike the newborn Kenyan zonkey. 

Currently, the baby zonkey and his mother are both doing well, and they will continue to live in the Kenyan National Park. Below is an adult zonkey, a likely representation of what the newborn will look like once it has grown up.