The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Zebras are their beautiful black stripes, right? I mean, it’s kind of their trademark. However, recently there was a rare baby zebra born with completely reversed colors. Instead of having a mostly white body with black stripes, the baby had mostly black with white spots as well as a few white stripes around its legs. This ultra-rare reverse zebra is quite a spectacle. And the foil was captured on camera by a wildlife photographer, who at first could not believe his eyes. And who could blame him, this was indeed an unbelievable sight!
The baby zebra was born with mostly spots instead of stripes! At first, photographer Antony Tira genuinely didn’t believe what he was seeing but took photos regardless. He thought that maybe the rangers painted it so they could keep track of the foil or something. But he soon came to the realization that he was witnessing a baby zebra with a rare melanin disorder. In this case, it was the opposite of being born albino, and it results in the animal being born with a much darker pigment than usual. And that’s exactly how this baby zebra came to have its gorgeous spots.
Screengrab via YouTube
However, zebras don’t just have stripes to look cool. The stripes actually assist in helping them regulate their temperature in the blistering desert heat. Especially in a place like the Masai Mara, where these photos were taken, where it can get incredibly hot for any zebra just standing outside nibbling on grass. As such, this little foil might struggle to survive.
Screengrab via YouTube
“Zebra have a need to keep foraging throughout the day, which keeps them out in the open more of the time than other animals,” said researcher Ren Larison. “An additional cooling mechanism could be very useful under these circumstances.”
Screengrab via YouTube
The stripes also provide defensive camouflage from predators. Sadly, this means that zebras with this recessive gene typically don’t survive more than six months.
Screengrab via YouTube
“If this is true, it means that the herd itself is a successful one, even though the foals are not surviving to adulthood,” said photographer and expert Matthew Copham. “Unfortunately, zebras which stand out from the others too much do become a target.”
However, this adorable baby zebra’s only a week old, so I hope with all my heart that he can safely mature into an adult.
What do you think of this zebra? Should he be left in the wild or rescued? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section and please be sure to share this story with your friends and family.
Source: Happiest.net