A newborn Zebra in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, is making people go wow because of its unusual appearance. For most, the word Zebra brings up the image of an animal covered in black and white stripes. The newborn animal, however, is nothing like that image.
Shared by Facebook page Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association on September 14, the image shows an animal covered in pattern of small stripes and spots across its skin.
Antony Tira, a tour guide and photographer at Matira Bush Camp, is the one who spotted the foal, reports Daily Mail. “At first I thought it was a zebra that had been captured and painted or marked for purposes of migration. I was confused when I first saw it,” he said.
Turns out, that the unusual development of the strips in the foal is due to a condition called Melanism, reports Daily Mail. In this condition, there is an increased build-up of dark pigmented melanin in the skin.
{{/usCountry}}Turns out, that the unusual development of the strips in the foal is due to a condition called Melanism, reports Daily Mail. In this condition, there is an increased build-up of dark pigmented melanin in the skin.
{{/usCountry}}The rate polka-dotted zebra is the first recorded case in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Parmale Lemein, a wildlife specialist at Matira Camp told the Daily Nation, cites Daily Mail. However, earlier a few melanistic zebras were spotted in other parts of Africa.
A few more images were shared on Facebook by Mutuma Untamed – a well-known blogger. “’Did you know, last week a Maasai guide discovered a one of a kind hybrid baby zebra in the Maasai Mara. It is named after his surname – Tira,” he wrote.
People dropped different comments on both the posts. “Wow! What a species! I love it,” excitedly commented a Facebook user. “Another beautiful animal to be appreciated,” commented another. “The most beautiful thing I’ve seen today,” wrote a third. “It’s beautiful,” wrote a fourth.
What do you think about this rare polka-dotted foal?