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Rare polka-dotted zebra foal “spotted” in Kenya

2 min read

Inspiring People
Source: Twitter/RSPhotography

Photographer Frank Liu captured footage of an extremely rare “blacker” spotted zebra foal in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Game Reserve.

Rare coloured Zebra foal spotted in Maasai Mara

Photographer Frank Liu was on the search for rhinos in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve recently when he noticed the eye-catching plains zebra, likely about a week old. “At first glance he looked like a different species altogether,” Liu told National Geographic. — Antony Tira, a Maasai guide who first spotted the foal, named him ‘Tira’.

Zebra stripes are as unique as fingerprints, but Tira’s odd coloration could be the first recorded observation in the Masai Mara of a rare “blacker”, according to Liu, though similar foals have been seen in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
Tira walks through Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve with his mother in a recent photograph. Zebra stripes are as unique as fingerprints, but Tira’s odd coloration could be the first recorded observation in the Masai Mara of a rare “blacker”, according to Liu, though similar foals have been seen in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Source: FrankLiu/NationalGeographic
Unfortunately for Tira, recent research has suggested that zebra stripes evolved to deter against biting flies. Experiments in the field, for instance, have shown that biting flies don't like landing on striped surfaces.
Tira, the spotted zebra foal, may be more suspectible to biting flies without the zebra’s trademark stripes. Unfortunately for Tira, recent research has suggested that zebra stripes evolved to deter against biting flies. Experiments in the field, for instance, have shown that biting flies don’t like landing on striped surfaces. Source: FrankLiu/NationalGeographic
Research conducted in South Africa has found that in two cases of plains zebras with aberrant colouring, at least, the animals formed normal relationships with other zebras—including mating.
What future for Tira? Research conducted in South Africa has found that in two cases of plains zebras with aberrant colouring, at least, the animals formed normal relationships with other zebras—including mating. Source: Instagram/FrankLiu
The default colour of a zebra is black but the white stripes are formed from the inhibition of melanin. It is an adaptation of nature which scientists believe is meant to keep insects at bay as the monochrome pattern seems to throw off the visual systems of flies.
Zebras are technically not black and white animals and the stripes are simply an adaptation of nature. The default colour of a zebra is black but the white stripes are formed from the inhibition of melanin. It is an adaptation of nature which scientists believe is meant to keep insects at bay as the monochrome pattern seems to throw off the visual systems of flies. Source: Instagram/FrankLiu
“Mom…tell me again how the zebra got his spots… wait…” Source: Twitter/XposeTrophyHunting/RSPhotography
Rare Spotted Zebra Foal Taken by photographer Rahul Sachdev, 41, the images show the female zebra and her foal - with a unique spotted coat. The images were taken earlier this month (September) in the Masai Mara in Kenya. Source: YouTube/CatersClips

See more of Frank Liu’s simply beautiful wildlife photography

See more of Frank Liu’s amazing photographs of African wildlife here and the Instagram video of Tira the zebra foal here.

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