11 Strange Animal Hybrids That Will Boggle Your Mind

Humans have reached a stage in their evolution where they are almost playing God. The Island of Dr Moreau may be closer to fact than fiction as humans combine DNA to create strange new animal breeds. Some are so bizarre that they can barely be conceived by our minds.

Here are 11 cross-breeds of animals that actually exist, but you would have a hard time believing that they do. Take a look:

1. Liger

It¡¯s the offspring of a male lion and female tiger. But it's unethical as many of these big cats that crossbreed in captivity and are destined to become curiosities in zoos and wildlife parks.

Ligers were made popular by the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite. They are gigantic, faintly striped creatures grow to about five feet tall and can weigh up to a thousand pounds. According to reports, back in 2012, a Russian zoo released photos of a so-called "liger" named Kiara. (ref: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/09/120921-liliger-liger-lion-tiger-big-cats-animals-science/)

2. Tigon

The tigon has a lion mother and tiger father. Tigons have spots and stripes and are usually deep orange in colour with white bellies. They are smaller than ligers so are less popular in the world of feline hybrids.

3. Zonkey

Mix a zebra and a donkey, and you get a Zonkey! Zebroids¡ªthe name for any zebra-based hybrid¡ªare almost always infertile, and they sometimes suffer from dwarfism. Zonkeys, also known as zedonks or zebroids, are rare, but have been bred since the 1800s and were even studied by Charles Darwin.

4. Jaglion

A Jaglion also known as a jaguon is the result of mating a male jaguar with a lioness. There are less than a half a dozen of this beautiful wildcats in existence. The Natural History Museum at Tring in the United Kingdom does have one stuffed Jaglion on display, so there's strong evidence of its existence.

Also read: 11 Animals That Have Been Wiped Off This Planet, Because Humans!

5. Leopon

It's the result of male leopards and female lions mating. The offspring¡¯s head is shaped like a lion, but with the long, lean body of the leopard. The first documented breeding of a leopon occurred in India at the beginning of the 20th century.

6. Grolar Bear

Also called ¡°pizzly bears,¡± most grolar bears are found in a zoo, the only place a male grizzly and a female polar bear can cross paths.

7. Coywolf

Coywolves are not ¡®shy wolves¡¯ they are a coyote-wolf hybrid, and contrary to their name are ferocious. Coywolves only emerged over the last century or so and have since spread all over much of eastern North America. This hybrid has longer legs, a larger jaw, smaller ears and a bushier tail than its parents.

Also read: 7 Times When Animals Caused A Cricket Match To Be Halted In The Most Bizarre Manner

8. Narluga

Narwhals and Belugas are the only two members of the monodontidae family of whales. They are extraordinarily rare. Sightings of this hybrid have been increasing in the Northern Atlantic recently, which some researchers consider a warning sign of climate change.

9. Savannah Cat

This a cross between a domestic cat and a Serval, a kind of wild cat that lives in Africa. They are exceptionally large, and behave like dogs, following their owners around the house, wagging their tail and playing catch. Savannah cats also do not fear water, and are more than happy to step into a shower.

10. Wholphin

It¡¯s a a whale-dolphin hybrid! This means it's part false killer whale and part friendly. The only known wholphin, Kekaimalu, was born in 1986. She even gave birth in 2005 to a calf that was one quarter whale and three-quarters dolphin.

11. Beefalo

A hybrid of buffalo and cow, the Beefalo is a relatively new breed, and was first bred in the 1970s. They are quite large-framed, and well-muscled. According to the American Beefalo Association, the hybrid offers the best of both worlds¡ªthe flavour of beef and the leanness of buffalo.