Egyptian zoo ‘paints donkey’ to look like zebra
Zookeeper in Cairo allegedly gave the animal stripes in bid to fool visitors
An Egyptian zoo has been torn off a strip for allegedly attempting to fool visitors by painting black and white stripes on a donkey to make it look like a zebra.
The row began when a student visiting the recently opened animal sanctuary in Cairo’s International Gardens Park spotted the unusual-looking animal and shared a photo of it on Facebook, the Daily Mail reports.
Mahmoud Sarhani said: “When we went to the zebra side, there was only one zebra.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“It came to us and the other one didn’t move, but when he came near to me, I realised from the first look that it was a painted donkey, not a zebra.”
The animal in the photo lacks the larger shaggier mane that a zebra usually has on the nape of its neck, says the newspaper, and the black paint appears to have smudged in the heat. It also has long floppy ears, rather than the more rounded ears of the more exotic species.
Zookeeper Mohamed Sultan denies the allegations, despite experts claiming otherwise.
Metro reports that this is not the first incident of this type. In 2009, a zoo in Gaza reportedly painted two donkeys black and white to replace zebras that had died of starvation.
And in 2013, a zoo in China tried to pass off a dog as a lion.
“When a visitor went to the cage of the ‘lion’ at the zoo in Louhe, a city in Henan, they heard a loud bark,” says the Mail. The so-called lion was then discovered to be a hairy Tibetan mastiff.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published