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18 weird and rare animal crossbreeds you never knew existed
I had no idea these animal hybrids were even possible.
Marco Valens
09.06.19

Advances in genetic engineering have made it possible for humans to create new animal hybrids. Inter-breeding happens in nature without human intervention but is rare and usually takes a long time.

You’re probably familiar with common dog crossbreeds like the Beaglier, Yorkipoo, and those beautiful Wolf Dog hybrids. On the other hand, most people haven’t heard about more exotic crossbreeds like zonkeys and grolar bears – yes you heard that one right!

Most of these unique animals have a story of how they were first bred and some of them play an important role in our ecosystem. Here’s the list of some of the weirdest animal crossbreeds that you never heard of before.

#1 Jaglion

Bearcreeksanctuary
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Bearcreeksanctuary

Jaguars are some among the most beautiful animals on the planet. These two are a crossbreed of a female lion and a male jaguar, born in Ontario’s Bear Creek Wildlife sanctuary. They sure look impressive.

#2 Grolar Bear

n-tv
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n-tv

Grolar bears are a crossbreed between polar bears and brown grizzly bears. Interestingly, grolar bears are a result not of human intervention but crossbreeding caused by the effects of global warming. Climate change has endangered their habitats forcing the two bear species to interbreed. Grolar bear example shows how life can adapt to adverse circumstances.

#3 Savannah Cat

Nitewinds
Source:
Nitewinds

This cute little kitten almost looks like a normal domestic cat but there’s more to it than meets the eye when it comes to this specimen. The Savannah cat is a crossbreed between the domestic cat and serval, a wild cat species that lives in Africa.

#4 Beefalo

wiki
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wiki

This hardy species called the ‘beefalo’ was bred primarily to survive the harsh winters in Canada. It was originally called the ‘cattalo’. Due to interbreeding, only four wild buffalo herds remain that don’t carry cow genes.

#5 Tigon

ohimaginaryfriend
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ohimaginaryfriend

If you’re not an animal expert, this big cat may look like a typical lion. The animal you’re looking at is a Tigon, a crossbreed of a female lion and male tiger. They are often bred in zoos. Unfortunately, these animals are at greater risk of suffering from various illnesses because of the negative effects of crossbreeding.

#6 Zonkey

Firenze La Reppublica
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Firenze La Reppublica

Half-zebra and half-donkey this cute animal has been born in Italy. They are very rare and unlike donkeys, they can be quite temperamental.

#7 Geep (Sheep-Goat Hybrid)

MyPetting Zoo
Source:
MyPetting Zoo

These animals are quite adorable but often suffer from many defects. On the positive side, the geep is a very friendly animal that likes to cuddle.

#8 Narluga

Animales Hibridos
Source:
Animales Hibridos

Very little is known about the Narluga whale. This mysterious species is thought to be a natural hybrid of a male beluga and a female narwhal. Narluga whales have been sighted in North Atlantic and the Arctic.

#9 Coywolf

Journals.plos
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Journals.plos

Coywolves are a hybrid of several wolf species, coyotes, eastern wolves, and gray wolves. They inhabit the northern United States, as well as northeastern Canada.

#10 Liger

Ligers are the result of breeding between a female tiger and a male lion. They are similar to Tigons and are also bred in captivity. A gigantic species, Ligers are officially the largest big cat species in the world. Sadly, interbreeding has made them vulnerable to many defects and diseases.

#11 Hinny

Wikipedia
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Wikipedia

They are similar to mules but have a different temperament and behave differently. A hinny is a female donkey and a male horse hybrid.

#12 Zebroid

Strange Animals
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Strange Animals

Zebroids have been around for a long time. They are a result of crossbreeding between zebra and any other equine but are extremely rare and cannot reproduce.

#13 Wholphin

Infy World
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Infy World

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An offspring of a common female bottlenose dolphin and a male false killer whale, a wholphin is a unique and very rare animal. While there’s the only wholphin in captivity, sightings have been reported in the wild.

#14 Dzo

wikimedia
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wikimedia

A hybrid between the yak and domestic cattle, Dzo can be found in Tibet and Mongolia. They are often used for transportation by the locals but are also valued for their milk.

#15 Mulard

Peakpx
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Peakpx

A mulard is a crossbreed of a mallard and a domestic duck. They are sterile and are bred almost exclusively for food.

#16 Cama

Taylor Llamas
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Taylor Llamas

The cama was first bred in Dubai more than twenty years ago as a hybrid of a male dromedary and a female llama. It weighs considerably more than a llama and can produce more wool.

#17 Leopon

Reddit
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Reddit

Leopons (male leopard and female lion hybrids) exist only in captivity. They are larger than most leopards and have a body which resembles that of a lion.

#18 Żubroń

Wikimedia
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Wikimedia

Zubron is the European variant of a Beefalo. It was first bred in the 19th century as an alternative to domestic cattle. They are more sturdy and more resilient to disease than domestic cattle.

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