Last week I was scheduled to take Angus pictures in Oneonta, Alabama. Oneonta is a small country town northeast of Birmingham.  Sherrod Angus Farms comprises about 1,000 acres, much of it open, somewhat flat land surrounded by mountain ridges. Some of the trees were still vibrant colors, which made for an interesting backdrop.  

In my 20 years of livestock photography, I’ve encountered all sorts of strange critters on these farm visits and today would be another first. As I entered on the farm’s long drive, in the front pasture was a beautiful herd of Zebras. Some years earlier, the owner Blake Sherrod, brought in several exotic animals, including Camels, Buffalo and two Zebras. Blake was looking for a way to spice up life and make farm visits more interesting for guests. While he succeeded for a time, some of the exotic beasts didn’t acclimate as well as others. The Buffalo became hard to manage and contain and the Camels proved too susceptible to Alabama parasites. Only the Zebra remained and propagated. There must have been 10 Zebras grazing, including a mare and her foal.  

At the barn was an interesting hybrid colt they called a Zonkey. I’d never heard of such, but evidently one of the farm donkeys hooked up with one of the Zebra stallions and created this oddity. They are more commonly known as a Zedonk, but Zonkey is a lot more fun to say. This Zonkey had a nasty temperament and seemed to take pleasure in donkey-kicking anything in striking distance, including Angus bulls, water tanks and his mother. Thank goodness Zonkey’s are born naturally sterile. 

The Sherrod Farms Zebras are apparently Plains Zebras, characterized by narrow stripes that widen as they get closer to the rear. While they might appear similar, I understand that stripes on a Zebra are as individually different as a fingerprint. 

The guys that work on the farm said the Zebra were not gentle, rather a bit wild, but when I sat down in the middle of their pasture, they were quite curious. They gathered around, staying in small groups, and tried to determine my motives. The mare and her foal came right up to me, stopping just out of kicking range, thank goodness. All I could think of was that Zonkey at the barn. As I retreated from their pasture, I wasn’t quite sure if the herd was following me or chasing me. 

At any rate, here are some pictures I’ll share with you. If you have an exotic animal or oddity at your farm, tell me about it. No stories about mother-in-laws, please. 

-Steve