A crossbreed is taking the internet by storm as people didn’t even realize they exist.
Meet the zorse, a cross between a horse mare and a zebra stallion which brings you a beautiful hybrid.
The Skydog Sanctuary on Instagram showed its rescue male zorse, called Pete, and people are loving him.
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Pete looks like your typical brown horse, except he has little stubby legs, a rather zebra-like face and those tell-tale stripes.
He was taken from an exotic animal auction by the rescue and placed in a sanctuary with three other horse mares to roam freely under the supervision of people who care about his wellbeing.
The rescue center that cares for Pete wrote a caption on their post, showing his distinctive stripes and ‘neigh’.
The caption said: “What a truly extraordinary sight - and sound. Janelle went out to get eyes on Pete the zorse and his mares and sent me this.”
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They explained how they came to receive this odd mix, claiming that a friend ‘saved from a horrible fate at an exotic livestock auction’.
The post continued: “She worked with him diligently to try to help him transition into domestic life and bring out the horse in him but in the end the zebra won out and he’s happiest running free. His young mare Soleil was a mere filly when she came to us with an infected wound from the corrals but she’s now blossomed into a powerful and strong mare with Strongheart and Hera as her mentors and guardians.
“Pete is extraordinary and it’s amazing that he stuck with the same girls and took them to higher climbs the second the lower gate was opened. They have hundreds of wild acres up here and more to come, it’s going to be a wild summer for them all.”
People under the post were shocked to realize that zorses were a real species and that people cross-bred the two animals on purpose.
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They'd also never heard what one sounded like and were pleasantly surprised.
One person wrote: “Forgive my ignorance but I just can't fathom the cross breeding of a zebra & a horse. Thank goodness for Skydog!”
Someone else commented: “What an extraordinarily gorgeous animal Pete is! The fantastic physique of the quarter and the lovely partial striping of a zebra. Its so wonderful that you have a place that this wild boy can thrive.”
One person commented: "Ok, so I did it. Went to google what a zebra sounds like. Pete does not sound like a zebra exactly. He sounds exactly like what he is. A horse and zebra. His bray or neigh is a perfect combination. Just like he is. It’s abhorrent the way they bred him into existence, but he is a beautiful being and I am so grateful he has sanctuary at Skydog. It’s absolutely the best place for him."
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A lot of questions were aimed at whether Pete can procreate and the conundrum that would present when he is surrounded by three mares, but he is sterile- like many hybrids.
According to Just Horse Riders, it’s common for cross-breeds to be unable to procreate.
The website claims: “It's like trying to charge your phone with a banana – interesting concept, but it's not going to work. This sterility is due to the different number of chromosomes in horses and zebras, making successful reproduction a rare event.”
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There are also some other differences between the zorse and a horse.
Even though Pete looks a lot like a horse, his temperament is all zebra.
According to the site, zorses ‘inherit a strong temperament and can be a tad more spirited than your average horse’ and are typically prone to aggression.
If you’re able to gain their trust, you could even ride them as long as you’re prepared to be ragged around like you’re on a rollercoaster.
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But we wouldn’t recommend it.
Britt Jones