Everyone knows zebras are famous for their black and white stripes. Well, this one rare zebra stands out from the crowd for special reason...he has spots instead of stripes!
Tira, a newborn zebra, was born with a dark coat with white polka dots scattered on it, and just a few stripes by his legs.
The little foal was just spotted last Friday by Antony Tira. Antony is a guide in Maasai Mara, a region of Kenya. The following day, photographer Frank Liu grabbed his camera and went out to find Tira. He said “I felt like I was looking at a different species. He was beautiful and really stood out amongst the zebras. I wasn't able to keep my eyes off of him during the whole sighting.”
Liu informed everyone that the two week old zebra is sticking close by his mom. How sweet! He said “There were other herd members around and did not seem to mind him too much.”
UCLA professor and zebra expert, Brensa Larison, said Tira's rare pattern is caused by a genetic mutation. She said “This particular variation is pretty uncommon, but they do pop up from time to time.”
We think you're beautiful Tia! We hope she stays happy and healthy.
Take a look at Tia in a video below!