A private zoo in Taipei, Taiwan welcomed three baby liger cubs, the mother being a tiger and the father a lion. One of the cubs died shortly after birth while the other two remain alive and are reportedly doing well. This is not the first combination of a lion and tiger but the birth is making news because the breeding of the two species is strictly forbidden.
The owner of the zoo, Huang Kuo-nan is insisting that they were not bred on purpose and that the mother and father lived together in captivity for many years. Kuo-nan said the lion and tiger have been mating for over three years but that this was the first pregnancy. The cubs are being taken care of by the keepers because the mother tiger has abandoned them.
Here is another photo of the two surviving cubs:
The liger became part of the common lexicon following the modern day cult-classic film Napoleon Dynamite and the lead character quoatably stating that the animal was:
“Pretty much my favorite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed … bred for its skills in magic.”
Here is a video of the liger cubs from a news report found via YouTube:
The cubs face an uphill battle as hybrids typically suffer from many health and developmental difficulties. For example, zoologists confirm that these cubs will be unable to reproduce themselves. These issues are why the act of hybrid breeding is universally frowned upon.
Photos: Reuters
