The strangest zoo in Britain? See a zedonk, a zorse and a zonkey as cross-bred horses go on show

By TAMARA COHEN

Who you calling stripey? Zee the zedonk, left, and Zambi the zonkey look more like donkeys, but have a zebra's temper, keepers say


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.
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.

Zonkey: Zambi 's mother is a Giant Mammoth Jackstock Donkey and her father a Grevy's Zebra

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.

source: dailymail