Who said all zebras look the same? This one's got dots instead of stripes - and has been shunned by the herd

By MATT BLAKE

Spot the difference: Zebras are normally social animals but appear to have banished this unusual specimen because of his spotty back

In the film Madagascar, Marty the zebra famously wonders whether he is black with white stripes or white with black stripes.
This one is neither - and was was spotted in Kenya by wildlife photographer Paul Goldstein who says in all his 25 years in Africa, he has never seen a zebra with such an unusual coat.
He says, unlike most zebra, it has never travelled with a herd and has a nasty temper if ever anyone gets close.

Remarkable: The zebra was pictured by wildlife photographer and safari guide Paul Goldstein who says in all his 25 years in the wilds of Africa, he has never seen a zebra with such an unusual coat

Paul first came across the animal a couple of years ago whilst guiding in Kenya from Kicheche Camp, a set of camps he owns, and has tracked its movements ever since.
He said: 'This animal was on its own, extremely bad tempered and I could not get a shot.
'No-one believed me when I told them of this remarkable phenomenon. This time, on a long game drive in the Masai Mara I saw him again.
'He appears to have no mates and a lot of scars, however the differences are vast.

Unique body-prints: Zebra are usually very sociable creatures who like to travel in herds. Some experts say they developed stripes over time to help them recognise each other

'The mane is short and completely black the hooped markings on its legs are completely different to normal ones, it has the shape of a donkey it is much darker all over, but those spots are incredible.
'Every zebra in Africa has slightly different markings, but this one has taken that to extremes.'
Paul guides wildlife photographic holidays for Exodus all over the world, but specifically in the poles and Africa.
Experts have come up with a variety of explanations as to why zebra have stripes.

Thinking: In the film Madagascar, Marty the zebra famously wonders whether he is black with white stripes or white with black stripes

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'He bit me on the shoulder': Screams of a woman attacked in her car by zebra as she ate a bag of crisps

By DAVID GERGES

Eye catching: The zebra spies an easy meal

Any visitor to a safari park hopes to get as close as possible to the animals.
But not this close. A woman, called Megan, was left in tears after she was attacked by a zebra that lurched into her car and bit her on the shoulder during a recent visit to a resort in Texas. The footage was caught by one of her friends in the back seat and was uploaded to YouTube.

In for the kill: Zebra lunges in for crispy treat
The animal appeared to be keen on a crisp that the youngster was about to eat, but instead caught Megan near the collarbone.

Scare: Megan is left screaming after the zebra bites her on the shoulder

Following the incident, she is heard screaming 'he bit my shoulder' before asking her friends whether she is bleeding.
The attack left a visible flesh wound but Megan appeared to recover once the zebra was a safe distance away.

Damage: A visible mark is left on the top of Megan's shoulder



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What a way to earn your stripes: Zebras captured in bloody battle for dominance

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Tussle: The two males, thought to be aged around ten and four years old, were pictured in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, having a noisy battle that lasted several hours

These aggressive zebras were left covered in blood after a vicious battle for supremacy in their herd.
The two males, thought to be aged around ten and four years old, were pictured gripped in a noisy and ferocious battle that lasted several hours.
Photographer Winfried Wisniewski was in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, to see the calving of 250,000 wildebeest.

But the 62-year-old was stunned to see the common zebras kicking and biting each other so violently.
He said: 'I watched for about an hour as the two stallions engaged in a serious and noisy fight.
'They were fighting for dominance in a zebra family group of abut ten members.


Hoof it: Zebras can weigh up to 900 lbs and measure 5ft at the shoulder

Mr Wisniewski, from the Ruhr region of Germany, added: 'It was a a very hard and rare fight, and I thing my images are sensational.
'The older one is probably more than ten years old and the younger about four to six years, maybe younger.
'You can see it by comparing the length of the teeth.' Zebras can weigh up to 900 lbs and measure 5ft at the shoulder.
Each individual has its own distinctive pattern of stripes that break up the outline of the body, providing effective camouflage from predators like lions or hyena.

Ferocious: The tussle was captured on camera by German photographer Winfried Wisniewski

The zebra's thin, long legs are also perfectly built for a swift escape from danger and they can run at up to 40 miles per hour.
Herds can be comprised of up to 1000 individuals, these are made up of family groups of between five and 20.
Zebras communicate through sounds and facial expressions. Laying the ears flat is a sign of aggression.

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Safari World has been forced to move some of their animals to higher ground as floodwaters flowed into the park overnight.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - NOVEMBER 2: Zebras stand in the recently flooded Safari Park located at Safari World November 2, 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. Safari World has been forced to move some of their animals to higher ground as floodwaters flowed into the park overnight. The open zoo and theme park been in operation since 1986. Thailand is experiencing the worst flooding in over 50 years and has affected more than nine million people. Over 400 people have died in flood-related incidents since late July according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.



BANGKOK, THAILAND - NOVEMBER 2: A Zebra sign stands in the recently flooded Safari Park located at Safari World November 2, 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand.

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You've made an ass of me! Pranksters break into animal rescue centre and spray-paint donkey as a ZEBRA

By STEPHEN HULL

White stripes: Ant the donkey has been transformed into a zebra after pranksters spent 20 minutes painting him

‘I noticed something was wrong when a zebra came in for a feed instead of a donkey,’ said Felix Green of the Sussex Horse Rescue Trust, in Uckfield, Sussex.

You’ve heard of mutton dressed as lamb – but donkey disguised as zebra?

A rescue donkey has been plunged into an identity crisis after an extreme makeover by pranksters.

Thirty-year-old Ant was covered in black and white stripes to transform him into a new type of beast.


Extreme makeover: While some may find Ant's new makeover amusing, the RSPCA has said it is a form of abuse which is not funny

‘We did not see who did it so it must have happened sometime overnight. It must have taken the person who did it at least 20 minutes to paint it. He is not in pain but it really smells.’

Mr Green said another donkey, Pedro, had an ‘obscene image’ painted on his side.
He said: ‘We think they were targeted randomly as there are a lot of donkeys there.’


Taped up: Palestinian zoo workers tape a donkey in order to paint it to look like a zebra because they cannot afford to buy a real one because of import restrictions

Painting donkeys to look like zebras has happened before.

In 2009, a zoo in Gaza found a clever way to beat Israeli restrictions on animal imports by dyeing two donkeys so they looked like zebras.

But today an RSPCA spokeswoman said animal graffiti is not amusing.

‘It's shocking people would think it was funny to spray-paint a donkey in this way. We take reports of animals being painted very seriously.

‘The paint can irritate their skin and affect their breathing.’
Sussex Police said they are investigating the incident.


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What's black and white and kicks like a mule? Meet the baby donkra - a donkey crossed with a zebra

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

The donkra stands next to its zebra mother soon after it was born yesterday in Xiamen, China


A donkra, the offspring of a zebra and a donkey stands beside its zebra mother in a wildlife park in Xiamen, China, yesterday.

This donkra was born on Sunday morning to the only zebra in the park.

Zoo keeper Lin, said she witnessed the natural mating between the zebra and a donkey last summer, but was astonished when she discovered the zebra was pregnant in February.


You can take a donkra to water... It born on Sunday morning to the only zebra in the park


The term donkra is specifically applied to offspring with a zebra mother and a donkey father but can also be referred to as a zebroid.

However, when a zebra stallion mates with a jenny donkey, it is known only as a zebroid and these are much more common than donkras.

During the South African War the Boers crossed ponies with zebras for transport work such as moving guns, according to Wikipedia.


Donkras, with a mother zebra and father donkey, are much more rare than zebroids


Charles Darwin mentioned in Origin of Species, drawings of ass/zebra hybrids saying: 'In Lord Morton's famous hybrid from a chestnut mare and male quagga, the hybrid, and even the pure offspring subsequently produced from the mare by a black Arabian sire, were much more plainly barred across the legs than even the pure quagga.'

In modern times they are used as curiosities and feature in circuses or small zoos.
Eden Ostrich World in Cumbria took delivery of a zony when one of its Shetland ponies was left in a field with a zebra.

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Lion regrets making this zebra cross... after he lashes out with a kick to his face

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Take that! The hind legs of the zebra slam into the lion's face and jaw, leaving him dazed but he is soon after the animal again


It was like the scene from the hit film Madagascar when hungry Alex the lion sees his friend Marty the zebra as his next meal.

But as in the film this lion was left hungry after he chose to make this particularly zebra cross - and was rewarded with an almighty kick to the face.

These amazing images were captured from the safety of a truck in Ngorongoro Conservation area, Tanzania, by wildlife fanatic Thomas Whetten.


The end? The lion easily catches the spooked zebra and grabs onto the back of the desperate animal before sinking his teeth into its flesh


In them, the zebra, who was blissfully unaware that a pack of lions were on the prowl for lunch, casually strolls through the grasslands.

But hiding in the grass, one of the killing machines creeps up on the oblivious animal, who becomes spooked and bolts.


Ducking, diving and weaving: The zebra uses all its strength to fight off the lion before delivering the almighty blow with its legs


The lion's speed means he swiftly catches up with his potential meal, leaping on its back and sinking its teeth deep into the zebra's flesh.

Undaunted, the zebra desperately fights to save its life - ducking, diving and weaving to shake off the predator.


Not this time: The lion, with his jaws wide open and ready, makes a leap at the zebra's leg but he managed to escape its grasp


And with one big buck the zebra manages to catch the lion square in the face - knocking it to the ground.

Amazingly, the big cat manages to regain his footing and continue to snap at its legs as it flees - almost managing to sink a big bite into the zebra's rear end.

But after a high-speed chase, the lion is embarrassingly dumped into a muddy puddle - leaving him humiliated in front of a group of females.

Mr Whetten, from Tucson, Arizona, and who runs photographic tours of Africa said: 'We were all stood up in the safari jeep watching these two packs of lions when suddenly this zebra walks between both sets.


Best of friends... and enemies: The battle between lion and zebra invoked memories of a scene in the 2005 film Madagascar


'He was completely unaware that they were even there and the lady standing next to me started screaming 'run zebra run' but it didn't take any notice.

'The next we know the lion is chasing him, jumps on its back but it managed to kick the lion into a big mud puddle.

'The funny thing is some people in another jeep got bored of watching the lions simply standing there and left before the action - missing it all.

'It was spectacular - even better than you see at the movies. It's very rare for a zebra to get away without being mauled at all.'


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Say 'Cheese'! Zebra flashes a toothy grin INSIDE a carload of tourists

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

The Koehler family had been driving around the Georgia wildlife park when they spotted the zebra and rolled down a window to say hello take a snapshot


This zebra wasn't too shy to have his photo taken as he thrust his head into a carload of tourists driving through a wildlife park in Georgia.

Just like Marty the Zebra from hit film Madagascar, the cheeky beast flashed a toothy grin for the camera.

The pictures was captured by Irina Koehler while she was driving through Pine Mountain Wild Animal park in with her family.


As the family greeted the animal he leaned into the car with his whole head


The family had been taking pictures of animals at the park all day when they spotted an approaching Zebra.

They wound down their windows to take a snapshot but got more than they bargained for when the cheeky Zebra stuck his head through the window and opened wide with a smile of teeth and gums.

Irina said: 'We nearly jumped out of our skin, I thought I'd be lucky if the zebra stood still long enough for me to get a picture, I didn't expect him to pose for the camera.

'My children are big fans of the film Madagascar, and this zebra reminded me of Marty from the film.'

She added, 'They say zebras are unpredictable and easily startled, this one was definitely unpredictable but I think we were the one's startled.'

'It's not every day a zebra pops his head through your car window, so i'm glad we captured the moment on camera, it certainly made for a memorable day.'


Fancy a kiss? Irina's husband didn't, and leaned as far away from the toothy zebra as possible when the animal gave a toothy grin for the photo


The Georgia zebra bore a striking resemblance to Madagascar's Marty the Zebra, which was voiced by Chris Rock


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The Mane Event: Quiet drink at watering hole turns to violence in African park

By Mail Foreign Service

Fight: The zebras come together, baring their teeth and scrapping in the heat of the African day


These usually placid zebras let off some steam by taking part in a fun group play fight.

Baring their teeth and even jumping on each other's backs, the fighting animals had earlier been enjoying a quiet drink at a watering hole when battle began.

The extraordinary battle was captured by photographer Sam Dobson on his first-ever safari.

The 49-year-old was visiting the Etosha National Park, Namibia, when he noticed the zebras.


He said: 'I spotted the herd drinking at a pond. At first they were amicable but after they were refreshed they started play-fighting.

'It was incredible to see. There was even a moment where it seemed they were playing rugby.

'It lasted for a while. Sometimes they'd stop for a drink, then they'd start playing again.

'The baring of teeth seems very aggressive. I know apes see that kind of behaviour as a sign of aggression so it could be the same here.

'But I didn't feel any anger between them, they seemed more playful and were quite friendly to each other afterwards.'


Relaxed: The family group of zebras interact playfully after drinking at the watering hole, moments before the fight breaks out


Mr Dobson had initially travelled to the safari park in hope of capturing the perfect picture of a wild lion, he had even applied for a special permit to drive off the usual tourist routes.

Unfortunately, he didn't spot any but had enjoyed the rare sighting of the zebra at play.

Mr Dobson, who lives in Moscow, Russia, said: 'I was totally amazed - It was fantastic to be able to watch a scene like that.

'These are the most unique and rare shots I took during my travels in Namibia.'
Herds of the animal are common in Africa, numbering up to 1,000 and containing family groups of up to 20.


Take that: The zebras converge in a tangle of of hooves and teeth during the friendly battle


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Zebra puts head into hippo's mouth... but escapes unhurt after cleaning predator's teeth

By Mail Foreign Service

Dicing with death: The zebra stoops low to place his head between the hippo's jaws....


This inquisitive zebra diced with death when it leaned in to the gaping mouth of a hippopotamus.

One of the most aggressive animals in the world, the hippo can savage its prey to death with its menacing jaw.

But the zebra seems perfectly unaware of the precarious position he's in as he teeters on the edge of the water dangerously close to the animal's razor-sharp teeth.

Despite appearing to be just seconds away from imminent death, the striped creature escaped unharmed.

Much to the surprise of zoo visitors, the animal was merely cleaning the hippo's teeth.


... but rather than attack, the hippo seems quite content for the zebra to nuzzle his teeth


The extraordinary spectacle was captured by photographer Jill Sonsteby at Zurich Zoo, in Switzerland.

The 34-year-old, from Jacksonville, Florida, USA, said: 'The zebra was in the same enclosure as hippo and its baby.

'The hippo opened its mouth and let the zebra in there to clean. They literally did that for the 20 of us zoo-goers for about 15 minutes.

'There was no harm done to the zebra. Everybody was snapping pictures of the sight. They thought it was really sweet.'

Despite being just five feet tall, the hippo, weighing up to three tonnes, is the third largest mammal in the world.

The creature's impressive jaw measures two feet across and can be opened to 150 degrees.

Its bite pressure has been measured at an impressive 1,821 pounds - enough to bite a small boat in half.

Despite its hefty frame the hippo can out run a human on land with speeds of up to 19 miles per hour over short distances.

In water adult hippos cannot swim but propel themselves along at speeds of up to five miles per hour.

Known to be aggressive, the animals are most hostile when protecting their young.
They rarely kill each other but have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in Africa.


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Amazing pictures: Photographer captures a hoof's-eye view of the moment a lioness attacks a herd of zebra

The zebras were disturbed by the opportunistic at a water hole in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya


Ground-breaking wildlife photographer Anup Shah has captured a hoof's-eye view of the moment a lioness attacks a herd of zebra.

The Briton spent three months following the herd on the plains of the Masai Mara, in Kenya, Africa.

A camera disguised as a rock perfectly catches the minutes a quiet drink at the watering hole is shattered by the approaching big cat.

Panic quickly spreads as she launches her attack.


Ready to attack: The lioness approaches the unsuspecting heard of zebra


Then with hooves flying just inches over the lens of Anup's camera the mayhem and chaos of the fleeing herd is unleashed.

When peace is restored one unlucky zebra lies dead as the lioness sits with her kill.

Anup said tracking the herd on the Masai Mara National Park reserve sometimes meant days of travelling hundreds of miles but the results were well worth it.

He said: 'It is fascinating to see how the large herds move and coordinate as one, when one is relaxed they are all relaxed, when one is panics they all run.

'What I have got is a remote camera disguised and placed in the path of the herd where you think it is going to go.

'I could see what was happening through the lens from a safe distance, you wouldn't want to be in the path of a herd of stampeding 6,00lb zebra.


On the run: The amazing images were captured by a camera camouflaged to look like a rock


One of the zebras kicks out at another - this is the equivalent of saying don't get too close


'The herds are formed by groups of females in harems, dominated by a single stallion. When the large herds come together like this there are hundreds of harems all together.

'When the lions attack the whole herd moves as one but to kill a zebra it is still very difficult for the lions who look three times smaller than their prey.

'Luckily for the foals the herds form a very protective unit with the youngster kept close to its mother and inside the group away from the lions.

'In one picture you can see that a lioness has made a kill of an adult zebra, probably an older or injured animal.' Away from the drama of thundering hooves and hungry claws and teeth life remains no less eventful among the zebra.

Anup said: 'The stallions will fight each other when an interloper tries to steal another's female, they will kick and bite each other in fearsome contests.


Stars and stripes: The zebra don't hang about when the lioness closes in for the kill


'If the interloper beats the stallion then he takes control of the harem, but sometimes males will just run away with a lone female.

'In another of my pictures you can see one of the zebras kicking out at another, this is the equivalent of saying don't get too close, this is my space.

'It's sort of like a big group of people really except instead of elbows flying you have a kick which can fracture a man's skull.'

Anup and his brother Manoj Shah's incredible images of the life of African herds can be found in the book 'African Odyssey' by Anup Shah and Manoj Shah.


In for the kill: The hungry lioness lies beside the zebra she has just hunted down


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Alert over zebra crossing: Escaped circus animal sparks mayhem on U.S. highway

Gotcha: Barnum & Bailey Circus workers grab Lima after his unexpected foray on to a motorway in the Georgia city of Atlanta


A motorway in the southern United States turned into a circus yesterday afternoon when an escaped zebra galloped along a busy section of interstate with police in hot pursuit.

The 12-year-old animal, named Lima, was exercising outside a downtown arena in preparation for an evening show when something spooked him, said a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus spokesman.

The zebra broke away from his trainers and bumped up against a fence, then wriggled through an opening.

Scroll down for video of Lima

'We're not sure what it was that startled him, but we're looking into that,' she said.

He was spotted by people in downtown Atlanta around 4:30pm, said a Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman.

Daniel Nance said he saw the zebra near a commuter station.

'All of a sudden a freaking zebra comes running down the street like a car,' Nance told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

'Five or six police cars were in hot pursuit. And a bunch of officers on foot. But then I got scared, thinking... what else is loose?'


Police cruisers blocked off all southbound lanes and were able to herd the zebra over to the right shoulder and off an entrance ramp


Caught out: The animal made its way through downtown to the interstate highway that cuts through the center of the city


Lima led his trainers and police on a 40-minute chase through downtown to the interstate highway that cuts through the center of the city, covering well over a mile along the way.

Police cruisers blocked off all southbound lanes of Interstate 75 and were able to herd the zebra over to the right shoulder and off an entrance ramp, where his trainer was on hand to capture and soothe him, Drake said.

'He obviously was excited, but he was in good shape,' Drake said. 'His handler calmed him down.'

The animal suffered cuts on his hooves from his long run, Drake said. The show's vet was examining him, but Drake said he would likely perform as scheduled.




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