Goat-sheep hybrid born under natural conditions in Botswana

In Botswana it is common practice to rear goats (Capara hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) together in one kraal. Under such conditions it is also not uncommon to see the two species mating, but such matings have never been reported to produce a viable offspring. In this field observation a viable offspring was born naturally from a mating between a female goat and a male sheep. Chromosomal analysis showed that the hybrid had 57 chromosomes, intermediate between the 60 possessed by its dam and the 54 possessed by its sire. In August 1999 the hybrid was five years old.