Residents of Moa village in Witu Division of Lamu County have been left in excitement after a zebra that was homebred together with donkeys gave birth to a cross-breed foal. The young one is half zebra and half donkey.
The zebra gave birth to the peculiar foal that combines the sturdy body of its donkey sire and the striped legs of its zebra mother.
Area Chief Abdi Bocha, who lived with the zebra for more than a year, on Sunday confirmed to the Nation that the wild animal had indeed given birth to the unusual foal.
Mr Bocha said the zebra is believed to have strayed from Boni Forest and has been grazing together with donkeys, cows, goats and sheep.
“The zebra came to our homestead about a year and two months ago. We developed interest towards it. After seeing that it was interacting well with our donkeys, we decided not to chase it away. Yesterday, it gave birth to a young one that is half zebra and half donkey. Everyone here is fascinated by the young creature,” said Mr Bocha.
Mr Barjo Dokota, a pastoralist in Moa village who has also been helping Mr Bocha in raising the mother zebra, said they have already contacted conservationists in the area about the incident and promised to take care of the zebra and its young one.
Wildlife officials informed
“It’s the first time it is happening in our village that a zebra gives birth while within people’s homestead. We’ve informed wildlife officials within Witu. They’re planning to take charge of the creature,” said Mr Dokota.
Contacted, Lamu County Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Senior Warden Mathias Mwavita confirmed that indeed a zebra that was being reared at a home in Moa had given birth to a crossbreed foal.
Mr Mwavita said such cases have been happening in various parts of Kenya.
He encouraged locals to welcome stray wild animals that are not harmful, especially the zebras, to their homesteads.
“We’ve had such cases of zebras giving birth to half-donkeys, half-zebras in places like Maralal. We’ve heard people branding the rare crossbreed names such as zonkeys or zadonkeys. I encourage citizens to entertain wild animals that are not harmful to their homes, particularly the zebras. There’s high competition in terms of animal habitat in Lamu and that’s why I encourage people to be welcoming those animals. I am sure the zebra fled from danger of being eaten by lions and other predators,” said Mr Mwavita.
Credit: Source link