Toast of Botswana

An unusual case of a sheep-goat hybrid was reported by veterinarians in Botswana in 2000. This was called the "Toast of Botswana". The animal was born naturally from the mating of a female goat with a male sheep that were kept together.

Because of their vast genetic differences (goats have 60 chromosomes, sheep have 54 chromosomes) and presumably them belonging to different genera (goats are genus Capra, sheep are genus Ovis), sheep-goat hybrids generally die as embryos. The hybrid had 57 chromosomes, intermediate between sheep (54) and goats (60). The hybrid was intermediate between the two parent species in type. It had a coarse outer coat, a woolly inner coat, long goat-like legs and a heavy sheep-like body.

Although infertile, the hybrid had a very active libido, mounting both ewes and does when they were not in heat. This earned the hybrid the name "Bemya" or rapist. He was castrated when he was 10 months old because he was becoming a nuisance.

References

*cite news | title = 'Funny creature' toast of Botswana| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/813466.stm | last = Amos | first = Jonathan | publisher = BBC | date = 2000-07-03 | accessdate = 2006-08-19

See also

* Interspecific hybrids
* Sheep-goat hybrid
* Geep