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.

Sheep-goat hybrid born under natural conditions.

The paper reports a 5 year old male sheep-goat interspecific hybrid born under natural conditions. The hybrid was castrated at 10 months of age. Karyotype analysis confirmed that the animal was a male and a hybrid with 57 chromosomes, an intermediate number between sheep (2n=54) and goat (2n=60).