A rare “zonkey”, a cross between a zebra and a donkey, has been born at a zoo in north-eastern Mexico.

The zonkey foal, named Khumba, was born on 21 April at Reynosa Zoo, the offspring of a female zebra at the zoo and a male donkey from a nearby farm.

Zonkeys, or zebroids more generally, are rarely born as donkeys and zebras have a different number of chromosomes (donkeys have 62 and zebras have between 32 and 46 depending on the species), and so are generally non-compatible. However, on rare cases such as at Reynosa Zoo, offspring can be produced.