Rare ‘golden’ Zebra sighted in Maasai Mara
By Hilary KimuyuAnother rare zebra foal has been spotted in the Maasai Mara Reserve. The zebra, which is mostly golden colored but has a stripped neck, head, legs and tails, is about one week old.
It is believed the foal suffers from a condition known as amelanism – a pigmentation abnormality characterized by lack of colour pigments called melanin.
The foal was discovered by John Maine Kipas who works at the Mara.
The foal was found at the Ngiro area among other zebras and wildebeests migrating towards the Serengeti.
Three weeks ago, photos of a polka-dotted zebra foal that was recently sighted in Kenya have gone viral on social media.
The pictures of the foal were captured at Maasai Mara Game Reserve by tour guide-turned-photographer Antony Tira, according to Daily Nation.
The images were first shared on Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association’s Facebook page on Saturday.
“At first I thought it was a zebra that had been captured and painted or marked for purposes of migration. I was confused when I first saw it,” Tira told the Nation.
Tira said the foal was hardly a week old when he photographed it. He said the young zebra has a melanin disorder.
Matira Camp Wildlife specialist Parmale Lemein indicated that there has never been any recorded case of such a rare zebra in Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
Lemein added that none of the zebra with such a condition in other game parks in Africa has survived for over six months after birth.
Photos of the unique-looking animal have widely been shared on social media platforms by online users.