'She Has Stripes': Rescuers Delighted by Birth of Adorable Rare Zonkey in Missouri

Donkey rescuers in Missouri were given a huge surprise when a donkey they bought gave birth to a rare zonkey, a cross between a donkey and zebra, in Kansas last month.

The foal’s mother Jayla was pregnant when purchased by T&D Donkey Rescue but they had no idea the father was a zebra.

To ensure the safest birth, Jayla was sent from Missouri to the Veterinary Health Center at Kansas State University where she birthed a zonkey. "We waited anxiously for over two weeks and then I received a phone call from Dr Laurie Beard saying ‘She has stripes!’ So we were very happy,” said T&D owner Deanna Kohley, as reported by Horsetalk NZ.

This footage shows little baby Zyla at one week old being bottle-fed by Kansas resident Rachel Cheyenne Trollope, who was visiting the center in Missouri.

“She is full of life,” the rescue center wrote on Facebook. Credit: Rachel Cheyenne Trollope/T&D Donkey Rescue Inc via Storyful

Video Transcript

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