# Will an elphant mate with a rhinoceros? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235 "2006-06-19T01:55:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/1 "2006-06-19T01:55:26Z")
Does that ever happen? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/2 "2006-06-19T01:58:35Z")
No. Why would it? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/3 "2006-06-19T02:02:38Z")
No. First, they’re not closely related, genetically. Second, elephants are much bigger than rhinos, which would make mating extremely difficult, if not impossible. Third, male elephants in the wild are very territorial, and would be far likely to kill female rhinos they encounter (just as a macho show of dominance) than to get romantic. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/4 "2006-06-19T02:47:48Z")
If you buy the elephant a few drinks, and the rhinoceros is cute… Now we dolly back, now we fade to black… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/5 "2006-06-19T02:54:21Z")
**Will an elphant mate with a rhinoceros?** You mean to make an elephino? You must have young kids in the house. ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/6 "2006-06-19T03:26:38Z")
Would a male elephant even recognise a rhino (or any other mammalian species) as male or female? Wouldn’t it just make the distinction between elephant and not-elephant? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/7 "2006-06-19T03:56:48Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > No. Why would it? Why would a human have sex with a sheep? I don’t think it’s that outrageous a question. I suspect (and I’m sure you can either verify or refute this) that elephant males are aroused by sex pheromones coming from female elephants in heat. No pheromone, no arousal. Rhino sex pheromones are probaly sufficiently different that they don’t prduce the right efect in elephants. In fact, would a male elephant try to mate with a female that wasn’t in heat? I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/8 "2006-06-19T04:55:54Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Why would a human have sex with a sheep? Mostly because there isn’t a woman within that whole part of Wyoming, and your pardner isn’t as cute as Heath Ledger. 🙂 > [@](#): > > I don’t think it’s that outrageous a question. I was actually curious about what might have prompted this particular question. Why would someone think an elephant might mate with a rhino, any more than a horse would mate with a cow, a dog with a cat, or a rabbit with a groundhog? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/9 "2006-06-19T05:03:01Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Why would someone think an elephant might mate with a rhino, any more than a horse would mate with a cow, a dog with a cat, or a rabbit with a groundhog? Well, animals are animals (work with me here). I have myself seen a llama attempt intercourse with a donkey. The donkey wasn’t very enthusiastic and kept walking away the moment the increasingly frustrated llama was about to achieve penetration. Now, this was in captivity and I didn’t see any female llamas around the place, but it does mean that an elephant-rhino pairing might not be beyond the realm of possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/10 "2006-06-19T05:16:12Z")
Ok, it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Almost any animal will try to mate with any other animal, or a dustmop, if it doesn’t have some other option. But the OP asked, “does that ever happen?” I took this to imply that it was something that might on occasion happen in nature, not that it was remotely possible that it might ever happen in the history of the Universe. Even if you found an elephant crazy enough to try to mate with a rhino, it’s extremely unlikely that you would find a rhino willing to stand still for it. So for all intents and purposes, the answer to the OP is “No,” even though there is some possibility that such a mating might have been attempted sometime within the past few million years. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/11 "2006-06-19T08:50:57Z")
It’s not _mating_, as such, but I’m pretty sure I saw an article (with photos) alleging that rhinos had been observed attempting to copulate with elephants. Of course it’s certainly not normal behaviour (if the article was even true) and may be more of an act of aggression than one driven by any kind of misplaced reproductive urge. ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/12 "2006-06-19T09:31:21Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It’s not _mating_, as such, but I’m pretty sure I saw an article (with photos) alleging that rhinos had been observed attempting to copulate with elephants. Of course it’s certainly not normal behaviour (if the article was even true) and may be more of an act of aggression than one driven by any kind of misplaced reproductive urge. Or maybe the rhino was just horny. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/13 "2006-06-19T09:32:23Z")
> [@Crescend](#): > > Or maybe the rhino was just horny. I can’t _believe_ you said that. I can’t _believe_ I laughed out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/14 "2006-06-19T09:39:06Z")
Perhaps I got the species the wrong way around, but [here](http://www.metacafe.com/watch/45970/stud_elephant) is incontrovertible evidence of an elephant attempting to copulate with a rhinoceros. As I understand it, zoologists interpret this as an act of violence, more than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/15 "2006-06-19T13:55:49Z")
In South Africa they had a problem at Pilansberg National Park over this issue. [Here](http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2000/elephants_kill_rhino.html) is a quick summary, but the story I was told when there was a bit more graphically detailed. Pilansberg is unique, or at least rare, in that it is completely closed in. It is surrounded by Elephant fences and communities. (Remember the famous 80’s song “I ain’t gonna play Sun City?” It is located on one side of the park). Think big circle-of-electrified-fence. 6 orphaned bull elephants were introduced into Pilansberg Nat’l Park where there were only other ‘younger’ elephants. Well, these orphans didn’t have anyone to show them how to behave. Then they hit puberty. Now, what do 6 horny bull elephants do when they don’t have anyone to keep them in line? The get very aggressive, and then do things to whatever happens to be available. As I was told, many a rhino got raped and then killed. Think ‘Lord of the Flies’ meets Babar. Now, I was told that they first introduced a grandmother elephant into the mix and she got things mostly sorted. Then they added more older Bulls. There is a story on this called ‘Clash of the Titans’ or something like that. Best- -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/16 "2006-06-19T14:25:27Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Perhaps I got the species the wrong way around, but [here](http://www.metacafe.com/watch/45970/stud_elephant) is incontrovertible evidence of an elephant attempting to copulate with a rhinoceros. As I understand it, zoologists interpret this as an act of violence, more than anything else. And that was also a very young elephant, like teenage boy-with-hormones-in-overdrive stage. I boubt that he really had any idea what he was doing 😛 . What surprised me was the rhino standing there with the amused look on its face! ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/17 "2006-06-19T14:43:04Z")
Would a human mate with a sheep? Hell if I know. Would an Elephant mate with a Rhino? Elephino. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/18 "2006-06-19T15:17:09Z")
The proper question is “What do you get when an elephant mates with a rhinoceros?” The answer, of course, is “Elephino.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/19 "2006-06-19T15:55:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I was actually curious about what might have prompted this particular question. Why would someone think an elephant might mate with a rhino, any more than a horse would mate with a cow, a dog with a cat, or a rabbit with a groundhog? Both are big, largely hairless animals with poor eyesight? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235/20 "2006-06-19T15:55:30Z")
OK… anyone else want to tell the “elephino” joke? :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-elphant-mate-with-a-rhinoceros/361235.md?page=2)