In the animal world, crosses between close species can sometimes give birth to unique individuals, true biological curiosities. But when it comes to a hybrid between two species as emblematic and different as the African elephant and the Asian elephant, the event becomes exceptional, almost mythical. This is Motty’s story, the rarest elephant in the world, whose birth has turned our understanding of the limits of hybridization in elephants.
An improbable crossing between two giants
Motty is the fruit of a unique crossing between an African elephant, Loxodonta Africana, and an elephant from Asia, Elephas Maximus. These two species belong to distinct genres, which makes the birth of an almost unimaginable viable hybrid. Indeed, not only their genetics differs significantly, but their natural habitats are separated by thousands of kilometers – Africa for one, Asia for the other – making any natural encounter impossible.
Born on July 11, 1978 at the Chester zoo, in the United Kingdom, Motty owed his name to George Mottershead, the founder of this zoo. His mother, Sheba, was an elephant in Asia, and his father, Jumbolino, an elephant in Africa. If Motty’s fatherhood was hardly in doubt at the time, the simple fact that such a hybrid could exist was a total surprise for scientists.
Fascinating hybrid physical characteristics
Motty alone wore the distinctive features of the two parental species. From his African father, he inherited the characteristic form of the head and his big ears, perfectly suited to the dissipation of heat in African savannas. But from his Asian mother, he had kept more subtle details such as the number of fingers: five nails on the front and four on the back, characteristics specific to Asia elephants.
The differences between these two species are notable. The African elephant is generally larger, measuring between 3 and 4 meters, with more wrinkled skin, while the Asian elephant is a little smaller and has smaller ears. The case of Motty, which combined these two profiles, remains a real anomaly in the animal kingdom.
Motty photographed with her mom. Credits. Kenneth W. Green
A tragically short life
Unfortunately, Motty’s life was brief and difficult. Born prematurely, about six weeks before term, he suffered from low birth weight. Despite intensive care, he died ten days later, on July 21, 1978, from necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious intestinal infection. An autopsy revealed the presence of a severe infection in Escherichia coli in his colon and her umbilical cord.
Even if Motty did not survive, her existence has opened an unprecedented window on the reproductive capacities of elephants and the possibility of hybridization between apparently very distant species.
A unique testimony kept for science
Motty’s body has been preserved and is now one of the collections of the London Natural History Museum. It represents a precious testimony for scientific research on hybridization, genetics and the evolution of elephants. Its existence attests that, despite the biological and geographic barriers, nature can sometimes surprise by its complexity and flexibility.
Hybridizations not so rare in the animal kingdom
If Motty is the rarest and famous hybrid in elephants, it is not the only example of interspecific hybridization in the animal kingdom. Other amazing crosses have already been documented, such as the Beefalo, from a cross between domestic beef and American bison, or Wholphin, a rare hybrid between a orca and a big nose dolphin.
These crosses underline the diversity of evolutionary mechanisms at work and recall that the boundaries between species can sometimes be more porous than we imagine. However, hybrids from species as different as African and Asia elephants remain exceptional.
Why is Motty fascinating so much?
Motty’s rarity, coupled with his tragic history, makes him a scientific symbol but also an almost legendary figure. Its existence questions about genetic plasticity and the conditions necessary for reproduction between distinct species. It also invites us to better understand the biological constraints that regulate reproduction in large mammals.
In the end, Motty embodies a fascinating enigma: how did nature allow this union between two giants of the animal world, and what lessons can we learn from it for the conservation of elephants, whose populations are today seriously threatened?
