Meet Eclyse - the amazing zebra crossing
Last updated at 18:25pm on 27th June 2007

It was more a case of a zebra cross breeding than a zebra crossing when this stunning animal was born in a German zoo.

Meet Eclyse, the result of a relationship between a zebra and a horse, who's celebrating its first birthday at Safariepark Zoo in the city of Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock.

The distinctive 'zorse' - which could just as accurately have been christened a 'hebra' - has fast become one of the zoo's most popular attractions, capturing the imagination of park visitors.

While most zebra-horse cross-breeds sport stripes across their entire body, Eclyse only has two such patches on its face and rear.



For while most zebra-horse crossbreeds sport stripes across their entire body, Eclyse only has two such patches, on its face and rear.

The one-year-old zorse was the accidental product of a holiday romance when her mother, Eclipse, was taken from her German safari park home to a ranch in Italy for a brief spell.

There she was able to roam freely with other horses and a number of zebras, including one called Ulysses who took a fancy to her.

When Eclipse returned home, she surprised her keepers by giving birth to the baby zorse whose mixed markings betray her colourful parentage.

The foal was promptly given a name that is in itself a hybrid, of her parents' names.

Now she's become a major attraction at a safari park at Schloss Holte Stukenbrock, near the German border with Holland, where she has her own enclosure.

Udo Richter, spokesman for the park, said, "You can tell she is a mix just by looking at her. But in temperament she can also exhibit characteristics from each parent.

"She is usually relatively tame like a horse but occasionally shows the fiery temperament of a zebra, leaping around like one."

Horses and zebras are often crossbred in Africa and are used as trekking animals on Mount Kenya.

That's a bad photoshop session.

There's two or three Zedonks or Zonkeys down the road, but they're not so striking as this Zorse. This one is really something.

Here's another one

yeah right

I'm going to do a full mount with my jackalope riding him.

Warren Johnson, the owner of Hells a Roarin outfitters in Montana has a Zorse. It looks similar to the photo Jerry posted, but not quite as large. A couple of years ago Warren legally shot a wolf that was harassing livestock and as soon as the wolf hit the ground the Zorse went to work on it, stomping the bejesus out of it. I guess it still has enough of those African genes to try and fight predators.

Mike

I agree that the first pic could be doctored but the Zorse or zebra X horse hybrid does exist. Most of the ones I have seen look like the one Jerry Posted. Z-donks or Zonkeys exist as well.

Sincerely,
Lane

J. Lane Easter, DVM
Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Partner & Surgeon
Performance Equine Associates
15257 U.S. Hwy. 377
Whitesboro, TX 76273
Phone: 903-564-7443
Fax: 903-564-3704
ledvm@verizon.net
www.performanceequineassoc.com

Heres a like with much more on the Zorse.
Zorse Link

I'm not disputing their existence but that first one is faked...no doubt.

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
I'm not disputing their existence but that first one is faked...no doubt.

Here's a link from the zoo's web site that dicusses their zorse. Apparently the pic is legit. There's also an aricle in today's Daily Mail from London that has the same pic.

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
I'm not disputing their existence but that first one is faked...no doubt.

Same here.

I think the pictures are for real. This zorse may also be a zorse/mosaic----some cells being those of the hybrid, some being only horse, but that's just a SWAG.

quote:

Originally posted by Spring:

That is not a photoshop

I just saw this animal walking around a pen on the local television news here in Bakersfield

do you shoot it or ride it???