Hobbies And Interests
Health
Because of their enormous size the liger has a voracious appetite, consuming as much as 30 pounds of meat per day. Tigers and lions aren't natural reproductive partners, so many conservationists and animal rights activists find it unsurprising that their offspring face health issues. Male ligers are unable to reproduce due to low amounts of testosterone. Some ligers have neurological issues that lead to tremors.
Characteristics
Tippi Hedren, movie actress and founder of the Roar Foundation for abandoned exotic animals, says that ligers combine the best quality of the lion, its sociability, and the best quality of the tiger, its swimming prowess. In addition to its enormous size -- a male liger's adult weight can reach close to 1000 pounds -- the liger is distinctive for its pale stripes. Some ligers have a mane, some do not.
Hercules
At 12 feet long and 900 pounds, Hercules the liger is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest living cat in the world. According to his South Carolina-based owner, Hercules is the result of an "accident" between his parents who co-habitated at Miami's Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.
Controversy
Accredited zoos and animal activists frown on the practice of breeding ligers, because of the health issues that result for the offspring when species are crossed. There has been speculation that at one time ligers existed naturally in the wild, but most modern conservationists refute this, since the natural habitats of lions and tigers rarely overlap. In addition, it's rare for animals to cross species lines to mate.