The painted 'zonkeys,' hybrid zebra-donkeys that were popular for years with tourists visiting Tijuana’s Avenida de la Revolucion, have been replaced with wooden replicas.
“They were painted like a zebra," Scott McAlister said. "Where else are you going to see that except, where? Tijuana,”
McAlister is among the many tourists who have good memories of the zonkeys. For him, they formed part of his honeymoon experience.
“There was a guy that had a zebra on a cart, you know, and he goes, 'You want your picture taken?' " McAlister recalled. "I think it was for 5 bucks or whatever. I was like, 'Yeah, for sure.' It’s kind of a memory thing”
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A few months ago, Tijuana’s City Council ordered the animals removed as photo props.
They have since been replaced with wooden replicas.
“I think we need to have conditions to avoid animal exploitation” Ismael Burgeno Ruiz, mayor of Tijuana said. "If anyone wants a photo with a donkey-zebra, they can take it with a plastic one, but animals should be respected."
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John Carlos, who was visiting from Mazatlán, said the zonkeys had been around for many years, but he understands the reason for the change. He said he often witnessed the toll the photo ops took on the animals.
“I think they get distressed by people just sitting on top of them or hitting them, or whatever," Carlos said. "They weren't getting the right food, so that’s why I think it’s for the best.”
Others said the removal of the animals doesn’t affect their Tijuana experience, but they could see how it could impact vendors.
“I imagine some of these people make a living, you know, off of this, and this probably hurts them in some way, but for me, personally, I’m sure there are better places to see zebras,” Richard Wang said.
For McAlister, though, the animals are what made his experience so memorable.
“With a wooden painted donkey or whatever, or painted zebra, it’s not the same," McAlister said. "You can get that anywhere. It’s not TJ”
Ruiz said the city council is considering strengthening policies that protect animals and how they're cared for.
