These hybrid animals will make you do a double take!
Zonkey = Zebra + Donkey
Zonkey, also know by zedonks or zebroids, are very rare and have been bred since the early 1800’s. Even though most are bred specifically to be zonkeys, its actually quite possible for them to be born in the wild, especially in some parts of Africa where zebras and donkeys live in close proximity to each other.
Geep = Goat + Sheep
This adorable animal is the hybrid offspring of a goat and a sheep. Unfortunately the two animals are not in the same genus so this is an unnatural mix that doesn’t always work out. In the wild, the chance of a geep being born is very rare, which is a result of the genetic distance between the goat and sheep.
Beefalo = Buffalo + Cow
Beefalo is knows as the America hybrid and is the child of a domestic cow and American Bison, and is an efficient breed for beef production. Beefalo meat is lower in fat and cholesterol than your standard cow meat. The animal itself is also stronger and can handle colder weather.
Cama = Camel + Llama
This animal was created with artificial insemination at the Camel Reproduction Center in Dubai, with the first ever cama born on January 14th, 1988. The goal was to create an animal with higher wool production than the average llama, but with the strength, stamina and calmness of a camel.
Leopon = Male Leopard + Female Lion
The leopon has the head of a lion, but the body of a leopard. This hybrid is bred in captivity and there is little chance of them being born in the wild. The first leopon was bred in India in 1910, and since then the animals have been bred and featured in various zoos around the world.
Savannah = Serval + Domestic Cat
A savannah cat is a cross breed between a domesticated cat and a serval, a medium sized wild African cat. The hybrid started gaining popularity among breeders in the 1990’s, and by 2001 it was officially recognized as a breed by the International Cat Association.
Liger = Male Lion + Female Tiger
You may have heard of this one as its a rather popular hybrid animal, as it was the main character Napoleon’s favorite animal in the 2004 comedy Napoleon Dynamite. It turns out that yes, the Liger is real, and is the largest of all feline species alive today.
Tigon = Male Tiger + Female Lion
The tigon is not as common as the more popular liger, but it’s just as cool an animal. Both the tigon and the liger are unlikely to exist in the wild since the parent species habitats’ don’t overlap.