An unusual relationship between a bull and a male donkey has attracted the attention of scientists in Ethiopia, as the two animals repeatedly sought each other’s companionship, despite having other possibilities for mating.
According to the British medium The Sun, researchers chancely discovered this behavior in a special study of monkeys in Ethiopia.
Two animals, called Acille, the bull, and Patroclo, the male ass, belonged to different farmers and could be met only when they were taken out of the pasture.
During the first interaction, researchers noticed that the bull attempted to climb over the donkey from behind. Contrary to the expected reaction, Patroclo accepted the approach and often responded by easily biting Achille and approaching the back of his body.
We were having a little lunch break and in the distance I saw something that looked a little weird. I told my colleagues: I think I saw a bull riding on a donkey. They didn’t believe me, and she showed André da Cruz, doctorant and one of the authors of the study.
Experts from the University of Pisa registered 51 such interactions within just 14 days, even though the two animals belonged to different owners and could meet only during shepherding.
According to researchers, interactions were not limited to mating efforts. And the two beasts licked, and wrinkled, and drew near to their faces, and stood by one another continually.
Elizabeth Palagi, author of the study, said that the sexual interactions between the Achille bull and Patroclo donkey were not isolated events.
What really caught our attention was that these interactions were involved in a very selective and lasting social relationship between two individuals, she declared.
Researchers stressed that both animals had access to other potential partners, including animals of different genders and their species, but repeatedly chose to stay close together.
Doctor da Cruz said that the two animals were constantly looking for each other and engaged in various behaviors, such as licking, friction and dealing with tendons, along with repeated sexual interactions.
On two occasions, Acille tried to get closer to another male ass. However, he reacted differently, showing him signs of rejection and threat, including pulling back ears and threatening facial expressions.
The lead author of the study, Martina Francescon, said that the most important finding was not just that the bull tried to mate with a male donkey but that such behavior was part of a broader social and selective relationship.
However, scientists have failed to determine whether this relationship began as social proximity and then became sexual behavior, or whether both existed simultaneously.
According to researchers, the relationship may have helped to develop closeness, maintain relationships, or reduce tension, but more research is needed to understand the correct motives.
Scientists plan to develop additional observations to better understand what drives these two animals to seek each other constantly.
Sexual behavior among same – sex animals is documented in more than 1,500 species, including lions, dolphins, penguins, and sheep. However, such relations between animals of various species remain extremely rare.
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