Zebras are famed for their distinctive black and white markings, but now footage has emerged of something even more remarkable: a baby zebra with spots.
The unusual foal was filmed feeding beside its mother at the Maasai Mara in Kenya on September 15.
The remarkable footage below was shot by tour guide Bernard Tompoi:Tompoi said that when he first saw the zebra, he thought that it had been deliberately marked by humans to track migration.
After news of the unusual foal began to spread, tourists flocked to the area in the hope of catching a glimpse of the animal. The spots, which look like polka dots, are believed to be the result of a genetic condition, which causes the opposite of albinism - melanism.
A wildlife specialist from the Matira Bush Camp, Parmale Lemein, said that this was the first time that a zebra with spots had ever been found at the Mara Reserve, the Daily Nation reports.
However, the specialist then expressed concern for the animal's welfare, revealing that other zebra foals with similar conditions had not survived for longer than six months in African parks.
Pictures of the zebra were also shared on social media by popular blogger Mutuma Untamed, who claimed that the foal had been named after the photographer who discovered it.
He wrote on Facebook: "Did you know, last week a Maasai guide discovered a one of a kind hybrid baby zebra in the Maasai Mara. It is named after his surname - Tira.
"A few years ago there was a similar case, however, that zebra still maintained the stripes and brush-like tail.
Rare Tira, however, has patterns that appear as polka dots."
Hopefully, the publicity Tira has received will ensure every effort is made so that they live as long a life as possible.
