Ligers
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Ligers result from a mating between a male
lion (Panthera leo) and a female tiger (Panthera tigris) They are
the largest known cats in the world. They have been recorded since the 1800s,
when they were first publicly exhibited.
Ligers
do not occur naturally in the wild, since the habitats of lions and tigers are
quite separate and do not overlap. Although there is a small Asian population
of lions, they are generally associated with Africa. Tigers are found only in
Asia. Therefore, ligers can only occur in captivity, where the two species have
been kept together.
It was human curiosity, and an urge to
conduct deliberate experiments in controlled breeding, that led to them being mated.
The resulting litters produced animals which developed into exceptionally large
adults, much larger than either of their parents.
As
with most hybrids, the males, though interested in and capable of copulation, are
sterile. Female ligers have the ability to conceive and reproduce viable cubs,
but these may be more delicate and prone to congenital defects and other health
problems. Tiger mothers often reject their liger cubs. In one well-documented case,
in 1824, a terrier bitch was employed to suckle three rejected liger cubs in
Thomas Atkins’ travelling menagerie. These were probably the first ligers ever
seen in Britain.
Ligers display characteristics of both
lions and tigers. They are sociable animals, like lions, whereas tigers are
solitary. They enjoy swimming, which is something tigers enjoy. In appearance, they
display faint tiger-striped patterning on the tawny background usually
associated with lions.
Oh, why can't mankind stop tinkering with wildlife. It only seems to cause suffering for many of the poor creatures.
ReplyDeleteMan cannot resist dabbling. It does the animals no good whatsoever.
DeleteTigers are perfect just as they are.
ReplyDeleteThey are.
DeleteRemember Napoleon Dynamite? lol
ReplyDeleteI had to look that up!
DeleteGood grief. Stop mucking about with nature.
ReplyDeleteI agree. There's absolutely no good reason for this sort of experimentation.
DeleteA beautiful animal but I agree with local alien. Thanks for the info. I had heard of them before but didn't know much about them.
ReplyDeleteThey can still be seen in some zoos, amazingly.
DeleteHumans want to control and experiment on every thing even when it is sometimes a real disaster.
ReplyDelete. . . simply to prove their 'power.'
DeleteGreat information and photo. I learned something new today. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThey look like magnificent animals but apparently nature does not like this pairing.
ReplyDeleteThey are an anomaly.
DeleteWe do have to interfere, don't we?
ReplyDeleteCan't resist, apparently.
DeleteI have never heard of Ligers before - thanks for sharing this Janice as I leaned something new today. How fascinating but I am not sure I totally agree with all this interfering with nature.
ReplyDeleteThis serves no purpose.
DeleteThanks for teaching me something today.
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteWell that is very interesting. It seems rather cruel to continue to try and produce them when there are so many issues.
ReplyDeleteIt's unnecessary and serves no good purpose.
DeleteI have never heard of Ligers before ... but it is always risky going against nature.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
It is risky, and foolish.
DeleteGorgeous animals, but this is exactly why you don't fool with Mother Nature.
ReplyDeleteQuite so.
DeleteAnother case of humans interfering unnecessarily with nature without benefit to humans or the species. Interesting to learn about though.
ReplyDeleteMan is too 'clever' sometimes.
DeleteIs the mating achieved by putting the two in an enclosure together or through artificial insemination? If it's still being done, I hope it's stopped ASAP.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
It occurs when the two are in captivity together, but not through artificial insemination. It's wrong.
DeleteLigers and tigons...oh my! A cat of almost any kind can steal my heart...but there is something patently wrong - and sad - about this.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to create freaks of nature.
DeleteOh.. It just doesn't seem right and I'm surprised it's even possible.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible, but not right.
DeleteYour liger has a very faint stripe and a whitish face. Mama Lion has the stronger genes?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Papa Lion had!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of both Ligers and Tigons and absolutely do not agree with this interference of nature's natural order.
ReplyDeleteI quite agree. No point to it whatever.
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered why we have to do something just because it can be done. I feel for the resulting offspring who come into being just to entertain us.
ReplyDeleteThey often suffer for it, too.
DeleteThey are interesting, but it is probably something that we shouldn’t be doing. They are just a curiosity and server no real purpose beyond that.
ReplyDeleteThere's no excuse for them - they're not improving or enhancing.
DeleteI have never heard of this breed. But I think humans shouldn't interfere in nature.
ReplyDeleteBut we do interfere, all the time, and sometimes it's helpful, just not in this case.
DeleteYou are ever educational!
ReplyDelete😂🤣
ReplyDeleteThey are very pretty but I agree with the other commenters who wish people could leave them be. I'm reading a book at the moment, called We are completely beside ourselves (which I haven't finished yet) which is making me think of this!
ReplyDeleteNot a book I've read, though I've read many reviews. I'll be interested to hear your view.
ReplyDelete