The Gaza City zoo, whose zebras died of hunger earlier this year when they were neglected during the Israel-Hamas conflict, found a cheap way of replacing them. As the zoo could not afford to replace them with real zebras, zookeepers painted a pair of donkeys to match.

It would have cost $40,000 apiece for new zebras. The two female donkeys were striped using masking tape and women’s hair dye, applied with a paintbrush by a professional painter.

One reason for the high cost is the fact that zebras would have had to be smuggled in through tunnels. The reason is because of Israeli restrictions on the importation of animals. This is a creative solution, wouldn't you say?

Besides the two "zebras," the zoo also has an aging tiger, two monkeys, and an assortment of birds, rabbits and cats.

Originally on SNAFU-ed