18 Hybrid Animals that Actually Exist

[Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland]

While it may be hard to believe, all of these animals are real hybrid creatures. You may have heard of a liger (a male lion and a tiger), but some of the animals on this list will surely surprise and amaze you - I'm sure that you have never seen or heard of a zonkey, and do you know what a beefalo looks like? Take a look:

1. Liger

It is said that ligers (a male lion + a female tiger) only exist in captivity where they are deliberately bred. They grow to be very large. very quickly and are reportedly the biggest cats in the world. Pictured above is Hercules, the largest liger in the world. He weighs over 410 kg (904 lbs).

2. Tigon

When a male tiger and a female lion reproduce, this is the final result.

3. Zonkey

A strange mix of a zebra and a donkey.

4. Jaglion

A rare combination of a male Jaguar and a female lion. Pictured above are Jahzara and Tsunami, born in Ontario Canada's Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.

5. Geep

Another rare species. This is the offspring of a goat and a sheep. Very often, such a pairing usually results in a stillborn.

6. Grolar Bear

A combination of a polar bear and a grizzly bear, most of which live in zoos.

7. Coywolf

Coyotes and eastern wolves are able to produce an offspring known as the coywolf.

8. Zebroid

Pictured above is Darwin, one of the first Zebroids (a zebra and any other equine). The zebroid is an unruly animal that is hard to tame and is more aggressive than a horse.

9. Savannah Cat

A beautiful creature bred from a domestic cat and a serval. They have a dog-like character, enjoying games of fetch and have no fear of water.

10. Wholphin

A combination of a male false killer whale and a female bottlenose dolphin. Only one wholphin is known to exist, in captivity.

11. Beefalo

When you breed a buffalo and a cow, this is the final result. This hybrid animal has been around since 1800. It is believed that only four wild beefalo herds exist.

12. Hinny

A combination of a female donkey and a male horse. They are slightly smaller than mules and a lot less common.

13. Narluga

This hybrid species (a narwhal and beluga) is extremely rare. Increased sightings, however, are being made in the North Atlantic.

14. Cama

This camel and llama hybrid was first produced at the Camel Reproduction Centre in Dubai in 1998 via artificial insemination. The animals were created for their fur. Only five were born.

15. Dzo

The dzo is bred from a cow and a wild yak. They are prized in Tibet and Mongolia for their meat and milk quantity. They are larger and stronger than cows and yaks.

16. Leopon

These beautiful creatures (male leopard and female lion) have only been produced in captivity.

17. Mulard

This hybrid, combining a mallard and muscovy duck was bred for food.

18. Żubroń

The Żubroń is bred from a cow and a European Bison. They are stronger and more resistant to disease and were initially thought to be a possible replacement for cattle. A small herd can be found in Bialowieski National Park in Poland.

[SunKat]

The ligers are HUGE!  I have seen several pics of them and they are amazing.  Don't think I have ever heard of a tigon though!