Egypt Zoo Accused of Painting a Donkey to Look Like a Zebra

zebra or donkey?
Did a zoo paint these "donkeys" to look like "zebras"?Mahmoud Sarhan

People noticed.

Why does the zebra have stripes? Scientists are divided. But something nearly everyone can agree on is why this donkey has stripes.

Because a zoo painted them on to look like a zebra. Allegedly.

People are accusing Cairo's International Garden municipal park of faking zebras after an Egyptian student's photo of a suspicious animal recently went viral.

Smudges on the hair and decidedly un-zebra-like long ears had people crying foul just as soon as Mahmoud Sarhan posted the photo to Facebook.

Experts have also chimed in, saying a zebra's snout is black while the photographed animal's is not. 

However, the BBC reports the zoo denies it painted the pack animal. Zoo director Mohamed Sultan reportedly told local reporters the animal is the real deal.

In a local interview with Extranews.tv, Sarhan said the animal in his famous photo was one of two in the enclosure that were painted to look like zebras.

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