Ligers Research Paper

For many years ligers were seen as mythical creatures. There has been a huge debate since they came into the limelight; in the popular 2004 cult movie Napoleon Dynamite when Napoleon described them pretty much as his favorite animal. That prompted the questions that is still being asked today, “Are they real?”, and “What are they really like?” The answer to the first question is, yes, they are very real. Though, the first question is still part of the huge debate; the second question presents most controversy. The second question is so controversial because there is so much uncertainty about them. That in turns questions the future these animals have. Everybody should become more aware of the Liger’s uncertain future by first learning
The female ligers are fertile and can reproduce. Ligers are said to have a very gentle disposition due to the lack of testosterone. There is also claims that the liger has a short life span. The average life span for a liger is 15 to 20 years. Ligers are said to suffer from diseases like cancers and arthritis. Ligers also have been labeled genetically weak and tend to live shorter lives than either parent. According to (“Ligers,” 2009) there are often times, the mother tiger requires a C-section because liger cubs are larger than tiger cubs. Because of this, its said that the tigress often dies during birthing process. Ligers are prone to gigantism and continue to grow throughout their lives. In some cases, zoos have been known to dispose of these animals because they reached a dangerous size. They say many suffer from depression and confusion as they age due to conflicting behavioral instincts and an unstable temperament. Its also said that they suffer from health issues or problems due to genetic abnormalities that is associated with hybridization. Ligers are not strong genetically and tend to die at a young age. Arthritis, diseases, and cancer are also a few things ligers tend to be prone to. Many who exploit these creatures claim to do so out of conservation. But what does breeding hybrids that would, never exist in the wild, do for conservation? They claim the answer is, nothing (“Ligers,” 2009). Dr. Bhagavan Antle, who is the director of T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve has been raising and training ligers for many years now. His ligers are an example of accidental breeding because he had tigresses in an enclosure with a young male lion. According to Antle (2009) “We were not sure what we were gonna have when the first ligers came around. No information about liger personality was on the books. There’s some kind of myth or legend about them. They break social ideas and rules in some way