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Satanica

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“Last night a Maasai guide discovered a one of a kind genetically mutated baby zebra in Maasai Mara and named it after his surname – Tira,” Lui said in an Instagram post. “I hope the experts will look into this case and share some interesting discoveries soon!”

The condition that caused the polka dots is called pseudo-melanism. It creates dark or darker spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the animal’s body instead of its normal coloring.

Tira certainly does stay out in a crowd, or in this case, a herd.

The foal’s future is uncertain, according to National Geographic.

Typically, zebras with unusual coloration don’t survive too long.

“Research on other species has shown that, while it is harder for a predator to target an individual in a group, it is easier if an individual is different,” Ren Larison, a biologist studying the evolution of zebra stripes at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the magazine.

If Tira does make it to adulthood, researchers say there’s no reason to think he can’t fit into the herd. Other zebras with unique coloring and patterns have thrived on other parts of the continent.
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Polka-Dotted Zebra Baby

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The tiny foal was first spotted last Friday by Antony Tira, a guide in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya. The next day, photographer Frank Liu went out with his camera to search for rhinos — but ended up finding Tira instead.

“I felt like I was looking at a different species,” Liu told The Dodo. “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.”

Tira, who’s less than 2 weeks old, is still sticking close to his mom, Liu said.

“There were other herd members around and did not seem to mind him too much,” Liu said.

Tira’s unique look is due to a genetic mutation, according to Brenda Larison, zebra expert and adjunct professor at UCLA.

While Tira’s unusual coloring will make it harder for him to hide with the rest of his herd, everyone’s hoping the little calf will stay safe and healthy.

"A likely function of zebra herds, possibly enhanced by their stripes, is safety from predators due to predator confusion, sometimes called the dazzle effect,” Larison said. “It makes it hard for predators to target an individual. It is easier for predators to target oddballs because they stand out in the group.”

But for now, Tira has a lot of people keeping an eye out for him — and rooting for him from around the world.
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I want to put my arms around him, hug him, squeeze him and land a thousand kisses on his adorable nose.

 
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I thought zebras were my fav animal- but now I know that spotted zebras are actually my fav! And I think they should dub this mutation the Confetti Zebra!
 
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