The Sad Truth About Ligers

May 21st, 2010

If you’re a lover of big cats, as well as our small feline kitty friends, you’d probably benefit from knowing the truth about ligers – created when a male lion and tigress breed. When visiting Big Cat Rescue last year, I snapped this image of their rescued liger, a handsome creature and one of the lucky ones.

While seeing a liger may be interesting, paying to see one at at place that breeds them only supports the inhumane practice. If lions and tigers are kept separate in captivity, as they should be, then there would be no room for the “accident” excuse. I know that Napoleon Dynamite says they’re his favorite, but we’ve too many natural species in this world to protect already without creating new, largely unhealthy ones. Right?

Accredited zoos don’t breed ligers. Lions and tigers don’t cross paths in the wild. If you’re not convinced it’s abusive to breed ligers or keep one as a pet, consider these facts from Big Cat Rescue :

• Ligers suffer many birth defects and usually die young

• Due to the size of ligers, the tigress mom is at risk for requiring a C-section or dying during birth

• They devour around 50 pounds of raw meat in a meal. Not a practical pet!

Read more about ligers and tigons at Big Cat Rescue.

(Image via Peggy Rowland)

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