On an Ethiopian highland in March 2026, researchers from the University of Pisa watched a bull repeatedly court and mount a male donkey: 51 interactions in 14 days, reports Spektrum der Wissenschaft, writing in German. The animals had different owners and met only while grazing. Both had other partners available, yet they sought each other out, licking, rubbing and staying close. The study appeared in Current Biology.

The team suggests such behaviour may help animals bond or reduce tension rather than serve reproduction, though more research is needed. Same-sex behaviour has been recorded in hundreds of species. For freethinkers it is another answer to the claim that same-sex attraction goes 'against nature': nature, it turns out, is a lot less tidy than the slogan.

Source: Spektrum der Wissenschaft / dpa (German) (2026-11-03)

Summarised by the FTI newsdesk.