Police in Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula have seized a white horse that had been painted with zebra stripes. The equine was a tourist attraction, but its owners have been charged with animal cruelty.
The fake zebra, four other horses and two ponies were allegedly poorly fed, says Ukrainian newspaper Segodnya.The animals were made to work at a park in the region’s capital Sevastopol. Many visitors were keen to ride and have their photograph taken atop the odd-toed ungulate, even though it was obviously not a real zebra.All the equines are now being kept at a farm near the city.The owners may face a $5,000 dollar fine if they are found guilty of mistreating the animals.It is not the first time that such a stunt has been pulled. In 2009, there were reports of a fake zebra in a Gaza zoo, which was actually a painted donkey.