Residents in Armenia were left stunned after reports spread that a zebra had escaped from a zoo and was running through the streets of the capital city. But the bizarre situation quickly took an even stranger turn when officials discovered the “zebra” was actually a donkey painted with black-and-white stripes.
The incident unfolded in Yerevan, Armenia, after emergency services received calls about a zebra wandering near the city’s zoo. Videos and photos quickly spread online as confused locals watched the striped animal move along one of the city’s busiest roads.
At first, many believed the animal had escaped from the Yerevan Zoo, prompting concern from authorities and residents. Zoo workers and bystanders reportedly managed to corner the animal before the truth was uncovered.
Zoo officials later issued a statement confirming that none of their zebras had escaped because the animal was never a zebra to begin with.
According to the zoo, an unidentified man had painted his donkey with zebra stripes as part of a prank video. Officials described the entire situation as a “failed joke” and warned that chemical paints and dyes can be dangerous for animals.
The bizarre stunt quickly exploded online, with many social media users joking about the “discount zebra” while others questioned how so many people were fooled. Armenian media outlet CivilNet even reported that the painted donkey briefly overshadowed the country’s heated political news cycle because so many people became obsessed with the strange sighting.
Police reportedly worked to identify the donkey’s owner following the incident, although it remains unclear whether any charges were filed.
As ridiculous as the story sounds, this is not the first time painted donkeys have been mistaken for zebras. Similar controversies have surfaced in zoos in Egypt and China over the years after striped donkeys were allegedly used to imitate exotic animals.
