White Lion and White Tiger Produce Little White Liger Cubs, and They're Irresistibly Cute
Have you heard about the felines known as ligers? As the name suggests, these creatures are a crossbreed of a male lion and a female tiger.
These hybrids date back to the 19th century in India. Believe it or not, they are the largest cat species in existence.
Their weight can exceed 900 pounds, and they can grow up to 11 feet in length. They can even grow larger than their parents!
Although they share the same genus as their parents, ligers are considered a different species. They differ from tigons, which are bred from a male tiger and a female lion.
Ligers are quite rare in the wild because both species do not inhabit the same regions. They are often bred in captivity.
The typical liger has tawny fur (similar to that of a lion) with a light pattern of stripes resembling a tiger's. The color of the markings can be sandy, dark brown, or black.
The color and patterns of the cubs will depend on their parents' subspecies and how their genes interact. However, so far, there have been no black ligers.
Today's animal story is about ligers, and these are not your typical breed.
The cubs are a crossbreed of a white tiger and a white lion, resulting in the first known white ligers.
From the left are cubs named Yeti, Odin, Sampson, and Apollo. They are considered the world's rarest cats.
It is estimated that only over 100 ligers exist in the world.
The four cubs are the rarest of the rare.
The male cubs were born to Ivory and Saraswati, a white lion and a white tiger, respectively. White lions are extremely rare in the world.
According to the Global White Lion Protection Trust, fewer than 13 of these creatures exist in the wild.
The family of big cats lives in the T.I.G.E.R. Sanctuary, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
This sanctuary is home to other ligers, including Hercules.
He is the largest non-obese liger in the world, weighing a whopping 922 pounds. Despite his size, he will always be a baby to his handlers.
He loves to play with the young ones.
T.I.G.E.R. Sanctuary founder Dr. Antle was impressed by how quickly the cubs grew. They were gaining one pound each day.
I skip a day seeing them, and it looks like they’ve doubled in size. It’s like someone’s blowing them up with a tire pump.
Of the four cubs, Yeti is the most energetic.
He loves being the center of attention. He’s also the largest cub among his brothers. It wouldn't surprise Dr. Antle if he grows even bigger than Hercules.
Check out this video of the adorable ligers.
The little ligers, like most tigers, love swimming. Their social nature comes from their lion lineage.
However, since they are different creatures from their parents, they also possess traits unique to their kind. What's even more interesting is that Apollo (the smallest cub) behaves like a house cat.
He always curls up with his caretakers and loves to be petted by them.
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