Newborn "donkra" melts hearts in Chinese zoo

An offspring of a female zebra and male donkey – known as a "donkra" – has been born at Xiamen Haicang zoo. Visitors jam against the enclosure fence to see its striped stockings.

­The donkra baby, who is still shy of so much attention, looks like both its parents: with its size and eyes similar to a donkey and its legs striped like a zebra. The birth of the lovely animal, which is now just a meter tall and weighs some 30 kilograms, was announced on Monday by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

There were complications during its birth, the Haicang Zoo attendants told CCTV.

"During the birth, the donkra choked on its mother's amniotic fluid, causing asphyxiation. We had to hold him upside down to remove and clean the fluid from his nose and mouth. We managed to save him in the end," said Lin Qiaoying.

Donkra's mother is being fed bran and brown sugar to ensure there is enough milk for the new arrival, added Qiaoying.