Researchers report unusual sexual and social bond between a bull and a donkey in Ethiopia
A study in Current Biology describes a selective relationship between a bull, Achille, and a male donkey, Patroclo, observed on an Ethiopian plateau. The researchers say it is the first such case reported in the literature.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Researchers have documented a recurring sexual and social relationship between a bull named Achille and a male donkey named Patroclo on an Ethiopian plateau. IJRRC “Researchers documented a recurring sexual and social relationship between Achille, a bull, and Patroclo, a male donkey, on an Ethiopian plateau.” Read at IJR ↗ The GuardianLC “Researchers say the two males have been spotted licking and rubbing each other, with the bull sometimes mounting the donkey.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The study, published in Current Biology, recorded 51 mountings of Patroclo by Achille over four days when both animals were grazing in the same area. The researchers also observed four days when only one was present. The GuardianLC “The team not only recorded 51 mountings of Patroclo by Achille, but noted licking and rubbing often occurred before and, more surprisingly, after such events.”“The researchers studied Achille and Patroclo over four days when they were both grazing in the same area, and four days when only one was present.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The animals belonged to different owners and met only when their herds used the same pasture. The researchers found the pair by accident while studying geladas in Ethiopia. The GuardianLC “the bull and the donkey belonged to different owners and only came into contact with each other when, as part of their daily routine, their herds used the same pasture.”“the relationship had been discovered by accident while the researchers studied geladas, or bleeding-heart monkeys, in Ethiopia.” Read at The Guardian ↗
Mixed · 2Other donkeys avoided Achille and made threatening faces at him, whereas Patroclo often presented his hindquarters and nibbled the bull. Patroclo was also highly aggressive towards other bulls, and neither animal tried to mount its own species, although Achille courted some female cattle. The GuardianLC “while other donkeys attempted to avoid Achille’s attentions and showed threatening facial expressions towards him, Patroclo often presented his hindquarters to Achille and nibbled him.”“Despite ample opportunity, neither Achille nor Patroclo tried to mount a member of their own species of either sex, although Achille did show courtship behaviours towards some female cattle.” Read at The Guardian ↗ IJRRC “Patroclo accepted Achille’s advances but reportedly avoided or acted aggressively toward other males” Read at IJR ↗ Left · 1Dr Elisabetta Palagi of the University of Pisa, a co-author, called the relationship "really, really unusual" and said it was the first time it had been reported in the literature. She said there was no indication of force and that the researchers interpret the data as a special relationship, with the two males seeking each other out. The GuardianLC ““It is really, really unusual,” said Dr Elisabetta Palagi of the University of Pisa in Italy, who co-authored the study.”“Palagi said there was no indication that the relationship between the donkey and the bull involved force.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1Co-author André da Cruz said the bull's mounting was unlikely to be simply dominance, citing what might have been semen or orgasm, though this could not be fully verified. The authors wrote that licking and rubbing seemed to prolong the social interaction beyond the sexual act. The GuardianLC ““We saw on several occasions what might have been semen from the bull, or he might have been orgasming, although we cannot verify [that] completely,””“these interactions appear to play a role in prolonging the social interaction beyond the sexual act,”” Read at The Guardian ↗
Mixed · 2Palagi said it is unclear whether the sexual and social sides of the bond always co-existed or one led to the other, and that the bond seemed to bring benefits such as attention and possibly support. IJR notes that the brief observation period limits conclusions about how long the bond lasted. The GuardianLC “Palagi said it was unclear whether the sexual and social relationship between Patroclo and Achille had always co-existed or if one had led to the other.” Read at The Guardian ↗ IJRRC “the brief observation period limits conclusions about how long this particular bond lasted.” Read at IJR ↗ Mixed · 2The researchers say the findings add to evidence that same-sex sexual behaviour occurs across many species and may help sustain social relationships. Josh Luke Davis, author of A Little Gay Natural History, told the Guardian the overlap was "probably not that surprising" and cautioned against misuse of such findings by those who deem homosexuality "unnatural". IJRRC “same-sex sexual behavior occurs across many animal species and may help sustain social relationships” Read at IJR ↗ The GuardianLC ““probably not that surprising” that they overlapped.” Read at The Guardian ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Feature-style science report led by the Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus, calling the pair's relationship a 'tender' interspecies affair that baffles scientists.
- Emphasis
- Researcher quotes, the accidental discovery, the 51 mountings, evidence of mutual attraction, and a comment on how the findings could be misconstrued by those who see homosexuality as unnatural.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not state that the observation period was short.
- Charged language
- “tender bond”“interspecies affair”“interspecies hanky-panky”
- For example
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“tender interspecies affair has helped to shed new light on social and sexual interactions between animals.” — The Guardian
“I would caution against reading too much into the significance of it” — The Guardian
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Short, plain summary headlined as a documented 'sexual bond', stressing the selective and reciprocal nature of the relationship.
- Emphasis
- Same-sex sexual behaviour across species and the limits of the brief observation period.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives no researcher quotes, no figures such as the 51 mountings, no journal name and no mention of the geladas study or the myth.
- Charged language
- “Sexual Bond”
What every side reports
- A bull named Achille and a male donkey named Patroclo were observed in a mounting, licking and rubbing relationship on an Ethiopian plateau.
- Patroclo was aggressive towards other bulls, and the bond appeared selective.
- The observation was limited to a short period.
Left2 articles
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‘It’s really, really unusual’: tender bond between male donkey and bull baffles scientists
Sympathetic Warm, myth-referencing feature with named researchers and an outside commentator on how the findings could be misused.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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IJRRC ·
Researchers Document Bull-Donkey Sexual Bond in Ethiopia
Neutral Brief factual digest that foregrounds the sexual nature of the bond and its limits.
- 2 Nov 16:00 First Scientific AmericanLC This bull and donkey show interspecies homosexual bonds can run deep
- 2 Nov 16:00 +1m Daily MailR An interspecies gay love story: Scientists discover an 'unusual sexual bond' between a bull and a male donkey
- 2 Nov 16:36 +37m IJRRC Researchers Document Bull-Donkey Sexual Bond in Ethiopia
- 2 Nov 16:53 +53m The GuardianLC ‘It’s really, really unusual’: tender bond between male donkey and bull baffles scientists
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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