Questions arise as to whether "Flumo" is categorized as a pig or simply a sheep.
Mid-August saw a sensational news story spread across the country: Flumo, a creature hailing from the northern regions. Was this youngster a unique blend of sheep and goat? A genetic examination provided an answer.
Disappointment in the pens and the educational institute: Flumo, born mid-August on a small farm surrounding Glücksburg on the Flensburg Fjord, was not, as hypothesized, a rare "schiege" (sheep-goat hybrid). The evaluation of its blood revealed that it was merely a sheep, with animal scientist Clemens Falker-Gieske from the University of Göttingen informing Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "We're a tad dejected that Flumo seems to be just a sheep in the end," he remarked. They had hoped that Flumo would serve as a second study subject for the sheep-goat hybrid.
Sheep and goats originated from the same subfamily within the goat clan yet carry different chromosome sets. Goats harbor 60 chromosomes, while sheep have 54, making hybridization challenging.
A decade prior, a schiege also commanded headlines
A schiege's similar hybrid creature created a wave of nationwide headlines a decade ago when one was born in the Göttingen district. Flumo is the only known instance of its kind according to Falker-Gieske since then. "We're uncertain about the enigmatic figure," he said. It fairly likely that goats and sheep occasionally produce offspring.
The Göttingen researchers had aspired to augment their research on hybrids with Flumo. "We had hoped for a second schiege for analyses as it was challenging to work with just one instance," said Falker-Gieske. Three subjects would be perfect for research to produce reliable results. The Göttingen schiege's case brought about fruitful findings, and a second schiege would have corroborated the research further.
One query, for instance, would be whether the process is genetically consistent every time a schiege is created. Additionally, the Göttingen goat was afflicted with an autoimmune disease, and the researchers had longed to confirm in another case whether this is connected to the animal being a hybrid.
Flumo continues to be the emblem of the Flugmodus festival
Flumo boasts white fur with brown spots - similar to the goat Rune, who has resided with a small herd of sheep in the meadow at the back of the house for years. The only ram within the herd features dark fur. The small ram was born during the Flugmodus festival celebrations on the farm. So, the name for the new kid quickly emerged: Flumo.
The farmowner Dag, who prefers to be known only by his first name, informed dpa, "I'm not overly sad, but I am disheartened." Also because the story has come to an end. His interactions with the little ram shall not change. "Flumo remains the emblem of the Flugmodus festival."
Despite the disappointment, Clemens Falker-Gieske from the University of Göttingen emphasizes the importance of Flumo, as it's the only known sheep-goat hybrid since a similar case a decade ago in the Göttingen district within the European Union. He expresses their hope that further research on Flumo could provide valuable insights, such as whether the creation of schieges is genetically consistent and if there's a connection between hybridization and autoimmune diseases.
