In July 1978, a quiet corner of the Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom became the setting for a biological first. Researchers and zoo staff documented the birth of Motty, the only confirmed hybrid between an African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). According to the Guinness World Records, no other case has been verified in the decades since, making Motty not only rare but unique in zoological history.
A Pairing That Shouldn’t Happen in the Wild
Motty’s birth defied both geography and genetics. His mother, Sheba, was an Asian elephant; his father, Jumbolino, an African elephant. These two species live on separate continents and belong to different genera, making natural encounters impossible and successful hybridization highly improbable.
The differences between them are significant: African elephants are taller and heavier—males can reach 3.5 meters at the shoulder and weigh up to six tonnes—with large ears that radiate heat in the savannah. Asian elephants are smaller, around 2.8 meters and four tonnes, with straighter backs, hairier bodies, two bumps on the head, and fewer trunk “fingers.”
Motty inherited traits from both parents. As the Chester Zoo team reported at the time, he had the broad ears and head shape of an African elephant but the five toenails on his front feet and four on the back characteristic of Asian elephants.
Fragile From the Start
Motty was born six weeks premature, weighing far less than a healthy newborn calf. From his first hours, he required continuous veterinary care. Despite the dedicated efforts of zookeepers and veterinarians, his condition remained unstable.
Ten days later, on July 21, 1978, he died from necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal disease in newborn mammals, compounded by an E. coli infection in both his colon and umbilical cord. Post-mortem findings confirmed the cause and underscored the difficulties in sustaining a hybrid of such genetically distant parents.
The Legacy Stored in a Museum
After his death, Motty’s body was preserved. Records from the Guinness World Records and statements from the zoo suggest it is now kept at the Natural History Museum in London, though not on public display. The calf’s short life closed the only known chapter in African-Asian elephant hybridization, and no similar cases have been reported in nearly half a century.
For scientists, Motty proved that such a cross is biologically possible, but the challenges of viability remain significant. As Tom Hale of IFLScience notes, “Motty is a true individual, the likes of which have never been seen since.”
Why Hybrids Still Fascinate Us
Hybrid animals—whether ligers, wholphins, or the lesser-known dogxim—have long drawn public interest and scientific debate. They raise questions about genetics, species boundaries, and conservation ethics. Yet Motty stands apart: not as part of a managed breeding program or accidental encounter in the wild, but as a one-off event unlikely to be repeated.
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