Meet Ippo the Zonkey, one of the rarest animals in the world

Say 'Hello' to Ippo, a rare zonkey who was born at an Italian animal reserve a week ago.

As you might guess, a zonkey (or 'zedonk', if you prefer) is a cross between a zebra and a donkey, and they're quite rare. Horses, ponies, zebras and donkeys are all close enough, genetically, that they can breed and produce offspring. Any offspring of a zebra and another equine are collectively called 'zebroids', with there being zonkeys, zorses and zonies.

There have been a few other zonkies reported recently. One was born at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Georgia just over three years ago, and another was born at the Xiamen Haicang Safari Park, in China, in July 2011 (although that was a donkra, with a donkey father and zebra mother).

"Ippo is the only one of his kind in Italy," said Serena Aglietti, whose family owns the reserve, according to the ANSA news service. However, based on his parents, Ippo is more special than that. He may be the rarest zonkey of them all.

Ippo's father was a zebra adopted by the Aglietti family after he was confiscated from a failed zoo. Ippo's mother is a rare animal herself, as she's an endangered Donkey of Amiata.

Making Ippo even more special, though, is that his conception wasn't planned. It was only due to the determination of his father, in climbing over the fence around his mother's pen, that he's now here today!

The Aglietti family says that Ippo is in good health.

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There are plenty of other animals that can crossbreed to produce hybrids. For example cows can be bred with yaks and bison. Different species of cats can produce hybrids (a Liger is a lynx/tiger cross). Canines like wolves, coyotes and domesticated dogs can interbreed. Sometimes these hybrids happen naturally, and since not all hybrids are sterile (like mules are), this can lead to new species. Human influences can cause hybrids as well, both intentional (due to cross-breeding programs) and unintentional (due to introduced species or animals being displaced from their natural habitat).

Most hybrids are curiosities. Many are harmless or beneficial. Some are dangerous, though. A particularly notorious hybrid is the 'africanized honey bee', also known as the 'killer bee'.

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