Zenkey foal a hybrid star (donkey mother, zebra father)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | August 29, 2003

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The zenkey snuggles up to its donkey mother at the Nasu Safari Park.
Photo: AFP

A Japanese safari park says it will put a zebra-donkey hybrid, believed to be the world's only living "zenkey", on public view next week.

"As we keep herbivorous animals without separating them, the unbelievable can happen," said Osamu Ishikawa, deputy head of Nasu Safari Park, 150 kilometres north of Tokyo.

"A donkey was pregnant and everybody was expecting a donkey foal," he said, adding that keepers had been surprised to see a striped animal born on August 8.

The male foal, now weighing about 25 kilograms, has ears like a donkey and looks as if it is wearing striped leggings. It also has a black cross mark on its withers characteristic of donkey foals.

Although it is extremely rare, donkeys and zebras can produce offspring because they belong to the same horse family.

Nasu Safari Park has had a naturally-bred zenkey twice before, but they did not live long.

"One, born more than a decade ago, survived only for a few days and the second one died after less than two months," Mr Ishikawa said.

"They were relatively weak . . . but the baby this time is quite vigorous and leaping around. Though the chances are high that the zenkey is sterile."

Agence France-Presse

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I'm hungry mum ... a male baby zenkey, hybrid between a donkey mother and zebra
father, suckles from his mother at the Nasu Safari Park, north of Tokyo. A Japanese
safari park is to put a zebra-donkey hybrid, believed to be the world's only living
zenkey, on public view next week. Photo: AFP

[EagleMamaMT]

Read later.

[balrog666]

Gee, one species or three?

[johniegrad]

Al Gore invented the zenkey.

[Lynn]

Both these picutres look fake

[billhilly]

This helps to explain the concept of a RINO. When a New England republican crosses with a New York democrat.............well, you get the idea.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[GluteusMax]

ping

[Aric2000]

Fascinating, I would say it is not a separate species, because it cannot procreate, or most likely cannot.

So,I would say that it is a genetic dead end.

Natural Selection can do that.

[fish hawk]

Another Darwin Dead End!!!Like gay marriage.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh... Cute!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Just guessing, but I would assume if this little guy survives, he'll be hard to train.

[AndrewC]

Do you have the lisance for the zenkey?

[najida]

OK...
Adding to my list of critters to get for the farm:
Alpacas
Camels
Zenkeys

[UNGN]

Ringling Brothers has one in their show. I saw it last week. It had to be a couple years old.

Not to be stereotypical, but the claims in the article are typical of the Japanese: "I am the First one to do X"... When some one in the US has done it years before.

[Rev DMV]

I though we already had Zonkeys?

There are a couple on a farm just down the road from my house.

[Britton J Wingfield]

ping :)

[UNGN]

Just guessing, but I would assume if this little guy survives, he'll be hard to train. The one at the Ringling Bros circus was exactly opposite of what you'd expect. It's trainer was standing there and it was like a dog. It kept trying to be petted. It wasn't for reward either. It just seemed to like people.

[cateizgr8]

Cute lil guy :)

[mommadooo3]

YUP, this NOT a 'first'.

I belong to some horse rescues and they have a zonkey needing a home.

There are ALSO 'zorses'...horse x zebra.