Nora The Donkey Brings Extinct Guacca Zebra Back To Life

Nora, a rescue donkey, was transformed into the extinct guacca zebra for the day as a living reminder of a species that once roamed the African plains but has since vanished.

Arnold Sciberras, a Maltese naturalist, showcased his charming pet last Sunday in an educational exhibition at the EquestriMalta event. Along with this, he presented his research, co-authored with Gina Curmi and Jeffrey Sciberras, on the endangered Maltese donkey.

Speaking to MaltaDaily, naturalist Arnold Sciberras explained that the guacca zebra was a subspecies of the plains zebra that inhabited South Africa, particularly the Karoo and southern parts of the Orange Free State. Unlike its striped relatives, the guacca had distinct markings only on the front half of its body, with the stripes fading into a brown, plain coat towards the hindquarters. This made it one of the most visually unusual equines of its time.

“The guacca’s story is a reminder of how easily humans can wipe out a species,” he noted, stressing the importance of conserving wildlife today before more species meet the same fate.

If no efforts are made to conserve the Maltese donkey breed, it can soon follow the guacca zebra in becoming extinct.

Interestingly, not all hope is lost for the guacca.

Since the 1980s, the “Quagga Project” in South Africa has aimed to selectively breed zebras that show reduced striping, in an effort to recreate an animal closely resembling the extinct subspecies.

While critics debate whether this truly restores the original animal, the project has already produced zebras with appearances strikingly similar to historical specimens.

Through educational efforts like Sciberras’s exhibition and ongoing research into endangered local breeds, the event highlighted a crucial message: extinction is not just a story of the past, but an urgent reality of the present.

#MaltaDaily