Buzz
(Motherland) - Weighing 705lb (320kg), this liger named Apollo is among the largest ligers worldwide, with a size almost resembling that of a prehistoric saber-toothed tiger.
Apollo is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger, hence the name liger. Unlike tigons, born from a female lion and a male tiger, ligers tend to grow much larger than their parents, even comparable to prehistoric saber-toothed tigers.
Both ligers and tigons have defects due to human intervention. They often give birth prematurely and usually live no more than 12 weeks. Some live longer but rarely beyond 10 years. They often suffer from neurological defects, joint inflammation, bone dwarfism, weak immune system, depression, infertility, etc.
The history of hybridization between lions and tigers was first recorded in the early 19th century in India. Lions and tigers live separately in the wild, so their hybrids are only found in captivity. Currently, there are fewer than 1,000 ligers worldwide.
Even among the hybrids of these two species, Apollo is still considered a rare individual. He and his three siblings are the first white female ligers in the world, born from a white male lion and a white female tiger in December 2013.
Back then, Apollo was the smallest among the four siblings, and according to its owner, it behaved more like a kitten than a lion or tiger. It would purr and always seek to be petted.
The saber-toothed tiger was one of the most ferocious predators on Earth during the Ice Age, from 3 million to 10,000 years ago in the Americas. With its pair of fangs reaching up to 25cm in length and sharp claws, the saber-toothed tiger was a terror to many species living during this era.
The saber-toothed tiger began to mark the period of extinction around 10,000 BCE. Currently, there are many hypotheses put forward by scientists about the causes of the extinction of saber-toothed tigers.
Some scientists believe that the rise of prehistoric humans is the main cause. Besides, the end of the Ice Age narrowed the living environment, altering the vegetation and pushing the saber-toothed tiger to the brink of extinction.
References: Earthlymission; Sina; ZME
