It’s a boy! Reynosa Zoo in Mexico has recently welcomed Khumba, a zonkey born on April 21 . He is a startling contrast between a donkey and a zebra. This combination might sound a bit like a fairy tale, and the zoo says that a zonkey is quite rare, as the chromosomes between the two species were believed to be incompatible. Though unappealing images of what we think a newly born zonkey might look like play through our minds, the reality is a beautiful brown animal with adorable striped legs.
The young zonkey was born to the zoo’s resident zebra, Rayas. His father, Ignacio, is a blue-eyed albino donkey from a neighboring farm. The parents of the zonkey used to visit each other every afternoon. Check out the video below to see this unique zonkey in action.
It is interesting to note that, while rare, Khumba is not the first zonkey in existence. A related article by The Inquisitr reports that last summer a male zonkey named Ippo was born in The Florence Animal Reserve in Florence, Italy. Conversely, this animal’s mother is a donkey, while the father is a zebra.
There must be a secret love affair that exists between the zebra and donkey population. Like the zonkey Khumba’s parents, the Florence animal couple were not purposely intermingled. In fact, the owner of the reserve built a fence to separate the zebra and donkey, to no avail. In a star crossed lovers tale like no other, the enamored zebra climbed the fence to be with his chosen mate. As The New York Daily News so eloquently puts it, “Owner Serena Aglietti built a fence to separate the two animals. But somehow, in the golden light of a field in Florence, love flowered.” You can watch the fun-loving zonkey from Italy below.
Though Khumba and Ippo may be the newest additions born to the zonkey population, they are not alone. Zonkeys have also been born to the United States, Japan, and China.
[Image via Dr. Rex ]
