White Lion And White Tiger Had Cubs Together – They’re The Cutest

Oct 26, 2020 by apost team

Many people think that hybrid animals only exist in science fiction novels or movies like Napolean Dynamite. In reality, hybrid animals have been in existence since the beginning of time. Humans are relatively new to the entire idea. The liger is a mixture between a lion and a tiger. These animals are present in the United States and have been making a lot of headlines in recent years.

In 2014, a rare breeding of a white tiger and a white lion produced one of the rarest species in the world: 4 white ligers. These massive, beautiful animals are some of the biggest felines out there. 

Tigers and lions are able to produce viable offspring because of the similarities in their genes. They are closely related within the feline classification. Ligers are often bred by zoo programs. The Myrtle Beach Safari based in South Carolina gave life to four amazing ligers in November 2013. The four babies are all white male ligers. They are believed to be the very first of their kind.

This is because their father Ivory, and their mother, Saraswati, are rare in their own right: dad is a rare white lion while mom is a rare white tiger. Both animals are classified as endangered, reports Daily Mail. 

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There are roughly 100 ligers currently in existence in 2017 according to Britannica. These four cubs are the only white ligers, however, reports Daily Mail. Odlin, Apollo, Yeti, and Sampson are loving their newfound celebrity. These cats are expected to reach an impressive length of ten feet or more. Doctors at the zoo also expect the animals to weigh around 750 pounds when fully grown. Ligers are known for being much larger than their parents.

Uncle Hercules currently holds the record as the world's biggest liger. The new cubs are actually related to Hercules and are expected to surpass this record. When the cubs reach adulthood, Uncle Hercules may lose his crown. On average, liger cubs are expected to outsize their parents by a factor of two. The director of the animal sanctuary, Dr. Bhagavan Antle, has chosen Yeti as his guess for which cub will become the next world record holder, reports Daily Mail.

Yeti is already the biggest amongst the four white liger cubs. He is growing rapidly and shows no signs of stopping. Unfortunately, ligers are unable to reproduce. Malfunctions in their DNA render these hybrids sterile from birth. These animals also tend to experience a shorter life span than their parents.

There have also been controversies regarding ligers and unethical breeding practices. Many animal rights groups are against breeding due to birth defects, obesity, and abnormal growth in ligers, according to Britannica. 

What do you think about this story? Did you know about the existence of ligers? Let us know in the comments and be sure to spread the word about these beautiful animals!