Posts tagged "hybrid"

Georgia welcomes a brand new baby zedonk. And if you don't know what that is, you're not alone.

The zedonk is a rare zebra-donkey mix, and the newest one was born in a week ago at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Dahlonega, Ga., the AP reports.

The new baby's father is a zebra. Her mom is a donkey. And the result of their unusual love connection is 100 percent adorable.

The Preserve's founder, C.W. Wathen, plans to name the new foal Pippi in honor of Pippi Longstocking, ABC News reports. The name isn't much of a stretch given Pippi's delightfully stripey, knock-kneed legs.

Though Pippi has the brown face (and body) of a donkey, her behavior skews zebra, Wathen says. While donkeys often lounge on their sides, zebras -- and Pippi -- tend to sit up, always on alert. "She's got that wild instinct," Wathen told ABC News.

But Pippi doesn't have to worry about keeping an eye out for lions in the Georgia preserve. So far she's healthy and doing fine, the AP reports, and as she grows she'll wander the 25-acre preserve with the other exotic animals who have been abandoned or rescued, including a camel, her parents, and a donkey half-sibling.

Wathen didn't realize until after Pippi was born that her mother was carrying anything other than a typical donkey. "When she had it, we noticed it had stripes, and we just couldn't believe it," he told ABC News. "We thought after momma cleaned it, it would be different. But it never was."

Recently, eccentric model Bai Ling made headlines by adopting what she claimed was a cheetah/domestic cat hybrid, although experts agree that this would be impossible in nature. Most likely, what she had was a Savannah Cat. Still, people want to know how they can get their hands on their own hybrid pets. Well, be careful what you wish for; hybrid house pets can be a handful. Here is a quick overview of two popular hybrid animals.

The Savannah Cat: A cross between a serval and a house-cat, the Savannah cat is much larger than the typical house-cat, and can reach up to 30 pounds for a healthy adult male. They often have leopard spots, but can vary in color wildly, a symptom of hybridization. Similar to dogs in temperament, Savannahs are extremely loyal and affectionate, can be walked on a leash, and can even be trained to do tricks. They are intelligent and extremely curious, so you will have to cat proof your home.

The Wolf-Dog: With a similar appearance to an Alaskan Malamute, a wolf-dog is a cross between -- what else? -- a wolf and a dog. The dog half of the hybrid usually is wolf-like in appearance, i.e. shepherds, Malamutes, huskies, etc., resulting in varied coat patterns. The wolf-dog's temperament is highly unpredictable, extremely curious, destructive and can often have aggressive traits.

If you want to adopt an animal like this, be sure you extensively research the requirements for adoption and care, as many owners give up on these animals when they become too much to handle.