At which zoo was the hybrid elephant Motty born in 1978?

The hybrid elephant Motty was born at Chester Zoo in 1978.

Motty was born on 11 July 1978 at Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England. He was the only proven hybrid between an Asian elephant and an African elephant. His mother was Sheba, an Asian elephant, and his father was Jumbolino, an African elephant bull.

The birth surprised zoologists because Asian and African elephants belong to different genera—Elephas and Loxodonta—and such a hybrid was not expected to be viable. Motty displayed a mixture of features: his head and ears were more African in form, while his five front toenails, four rear toenails and single trunk finger were Asian characteristics.

Motty lived for only ten days and died at Chester Zoo on 21 July 1978. His death was linked to severe intestinal disease and infection. His preserved body is held by London’s Natural History Museum, making him an enduring specimen in the history of animal hybridization. He was named after George Mottershead, Chester Zoo’s founder.