This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
Rare Black Spotted Zebra Spotted in Kenya's Maasai Mara ¶
On September 19, 2019, a rare black spotted zebra was spotted in Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve, captivating the attention of the world with its unique appearance.
The zebra, which has only been spotted in a few parts of the world, including Botswana's Akavango Delta, was discovered by a tour guide named Antony Tira while traversing the Maasai Mara game reserve with guests.
Tira initially thought the young zebra had been deliberately painted with the spots for purposes of migration, but when he approached and keenly observed it, he noticed something strange.
"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 Nation.
The American publication National Geographic attributed the unique spots on the zebra's skin to a condition called pseudomelanism, a rare genetic mutation in which animals display some sort of abnormality in their stripe pattern.
This, according to National Geographic, was discovered by Ren Larison, a biologist studying the evolution of zebra stripes at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Zebras are also said to experience other unusual color variations, such as partial albinism. One such case was seen in an extremely rare "blond" zebra which was spotted in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park at the beginning of 2019.
