What practice in tourist areas like Tijuana sometimes led to the term 'Zonkey' being applied to donkeys artificially modified for visual appeal?

Donkeys were painted with black stripes because white donkeys photographed poorly in early black-and-white photography.

The term 'Zonkey' has experienced a confusing dual usage, extending beyond genetically produced hybrids into superficial tourist attractions, particularly noted in areas like Tijuana. In these tourist contexts, the moniker was sometimes applied to donkeys that had been artificially modified by painting them with black stripes. This practice was historically implemented because the naturally lighter coloring of white donkeys did not translate well or register clearly in early forms of black-and-white photography used for souvenirs. Therefore, creating an artificial visual resemblance to the high-contrast zebra was a commercial decision to enhance photographic appeal, constituting an ethical misdirection where the visual substitute was mistaken for the actual genetic hybrid.