When it comes to crazy cross-breeds, these curious creatures really earn their stripes.
The tongue-twisting trio – a zorse, a zonkey and a zedonk – simply can’t hide the fact they all have a zebra for a parent.
Zulu is the UK’s first zorse, with a zebra father and a horse mother.
As if he is not confusing enough, he can be found grazing at a donkey sanctuary in Shropshire with Zambi the zonkey – who has a zebra mother and donkey father.
Who you calling stripey? Zee the zedonk, left, and Zambi the zonkey look more like donkeys, but have a zebra's temper, keepers say
Zonkey: Zambi 's mother is a Giant Mammoth Jackstock Donkey and her father a Grevy's Zebra
Alongside them is Zee the zedonk, whose parents are the other way around, a donkey mother and zebra father.
Although three zedonks were born at Colchester Zoo in the 1970s, zorses and zonkeys are thought not to have been seen here before.
The trio will be on show at the Donkey Rescue sanctuary at Bridgnorth at weekends from March 31.
Zambi's mother is a Giant Mammoth Jackstock Donkey and her father a Grevy's Zebra. She arrived at the sanctuary in December.
Zulu's mother was a grey Arab and his father a Grants Zebra. Zebra stripes are the dominant gene so although Zulu, aged five, from America, will get greyer with age his stripes will remain.
The first UK based zorse: Zulu's mother was a grey Arab and his father a Grants Zebra
Zedonk: Zee's mother is a Grants Zebra and her father a standard donkey
And Zee's mother is a Grants Zebra and her father a standard donkey. She was bred in Holland and came over to this country in 2011.
Amanda Bell, who runs Donkey Rescue UK, has helped rescue more than 50 donkeys taking in injured or badly treated animals from all over Europe.
The 32-year-old mother of two said: 'I don't necessarily agree with breeding these hybrids but they needed rescuing so we took them on.
'They were bred in America and imported to the UK. They are fascinating creatures.
'The zorse can be ridden like a horse but has the senses of a zebra.
'If a vet has a syringe in their pocket it will go mad even though it can't see it - a zebra will do that too.
'We take in many abused, unwanted and miss-treated donkeys, they come from anywhere in the world and we currently have donkeys living with us who have travelled from Bulgaria and Romania, as well as many more from closer to home.'
Amanda started Donkey Rescue in 2008 but this is the first time the zebra cross-breeds will be shown to the public.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118901/The-strangest-zoo-Britain-See-zedonk-zorse-Zonkey-cross-bred-horses-show.html#ixzz35mhYyPMa
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