SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Donkeys, painted to look like zebras, have been removed from Tijuana’s Avenida Revolución, a popular destination for tourists.
The “zonkeys” as they are called, had been fixtures in the area for more than a century.
Animal rights groups complained the animals were made to stand on street corners for long hours, often without food and water, and asked city officials to get rid of the zonkeys once and for all.
A few months ago, Tijuana’s city council agreed and ordered the animals be removed and prohibited their use as props for photographs with tourists.
A Mexican couple walks in front of street art on a store-front door, depicting a ‘zonkey’, a uniquely Tijuanan creation made by painting zebra stripes on a donkey. (Jon G. Fuller/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In their place, the “zonkeys” have been supplanted by wooden replicas.
“I believe it was a perfect time to do this,” said Frank Ortiz, animal rights’ attorney. “Collectively, as a society, we’re becoming more and more sensitive to animal cruelty.”
Ortiz also said the animals were being harmed.
“It took 100 years to make people realize the donkeys were being exploited, involved in something illegal because permits to do this were never issued, this was an opportunity to finally repair the damage.”
Ortiz says the zonkeys stopped being a tourist attraction a long time ago.
“Even the handlers have even said tourists did not want to be photographed with the burros, animal cruelty happens when you trample on the animal’s dignity, to paint them with black and white stripes was not right.”
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