A liger is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger. Lions and tigers are part of the genus, although they are different species. It is also possible for a male tiger and a female lion to breed, although those offspring are generally called tigons. Interestingly, ligers will typically grow larger than either the parents.

It is standard zoo practice to keep the two species apart from each other, although breeding does still occur accidentally in captivity. There are an estimated 30 ligers in zoos in the USA, and 20 ligers in zoos in China. There are probably fewer than 100 ligers worldwide.

There are old legends of ligers occurring in nature, but they generally only occur while in captivity.

In December 2013, the first known white ligers were born in the Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina to a white male lion and a white female tiger.

Here are 10 more facts about Ligers

1. Hybrid Species: Ligers are the result of crossbreeding between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a female tiger (Panthera tigris). They are the largest known cat species in the world.
2. Size and Weight: Ligers are significantly larger than both lions and tigers. They can reach lengths of up to 11 feet (3.3 meters) and weigh between 800 to 1,200 pounds (363 to 544 kilograms), although some exceptional individuals have weighed even more.
3. Growth Potential: Ligers tend to grow much larger than their parents due to a phenomenon called hybrid vigor or heterosis. They often surpass the average size of lions and tigers.
4. Appearance: Ligers display physical characteristics inherited from both lion and tiger parents. They usually have a lion-like body structure with a tiger-like striped pattern on their fur, although the stripes are often less pronounced.
5. Sterility: Most male ligers are sterile, meaning they cannot reproduce. This is due to differences in the number of chromosomes between lions (38) and tigers (30), which can cause complications in the development of reproductive organs.
6. Limited Population: Ligers are extremely rare in the wild because lions and tigers inhabit different parts of the world and their breeding in the wild is uncommon. The majority of ligers are found in captivity, such as zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
7. Strength and Abilities: Ligers possess a combination of characteristics from their lion and tiger parents, including the strength and social behavior of lions, as well as the agility and swimming ability of tigers.
8. Lifespan: Like lions and tigers, ligers have a similar lifespan of approximately 15 to 20 years in the wild. However, in captivity, where they receive proper care and nutrition, they can live even longer.
9. Pop Culture: Ligers gained significant attention and popularity after featuring in the 2004 comedy film “Napoleon Dynamite,” where the main character claims to have a pet liger named “Shasta.”
10. Conservation Significance: While ligers are intriguing creatures, it’s important to note that their existence is mainly due to human intervention through breeding in captivity. They do not occur naturally in the wild, and their breeding raises ethical questions related to conservation and animal welfare.