Why Li-Ligers are Born so Late?

Despite the fact that the ligers have their existence in captivity for centuries, the Li-Ligers were born very late at the global stage. It is highly unlikely that something special has happened with the ligers and they would have all of a sudden started giving births to the Li-Ligers from 2012 and onwards. The world's first ligers were born in 1799 while the world's first Li-Liger was born in 2012. But why did it take so long for the Li-Ligers to born so late (More than two centuries) in captivity?

The Li-Ligers are born very late despite the fact that ligers are around for more than two centuries. Their late arrival prompted people to previously (not after their birth) believe that the ligers are sterile.lieve that the ligers are sterile.

There must be some reasons before and because of those reasons we couldn’t hear about the Li-Ligers for years. Furthermore; because of this delay people over the years had made the firm belief that the ligers are always sterile and their existence is the dead-end for both the lions and the tigers. This article explores all such possible reasons and factors which contributed towards the delayed arrival of the Li-Ligers in captivity.

Li-Ligers are Born
Very very Late 1799 - World's first Ligers
2012 - World's First Li-ligers Why so Late?
A lot of Reasons to Explore! Late Arrival of Li-Ligers
Made People to believe that Ligers are Sterile

The biggest reason about the late birth of the Li-Ligers includes the general perception of the people that the ligers are sterile and they will not reproduce. Before breeding of the ligers, the mules were bred for thousands of years and being hybrids they were thought to be sterile. Therefore; people thought the same about the ligers as well. Consequently; there was neither the effort nor the motivation from the big cat experts to think further about the crossbreeding the ligers with other big cats.

The biggest reason for the late birth and arrival of the Li-Ligers in the world was the general belief that the ligers were sterile. Because of this belief people didn’t focus on any possible breeding of the ligers.

As a result, the ligers were kept in separate enclosures while the other big cats were focused more for producing the offspring of their own. This continued for the centuries unless in 2012, the Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia successfully crossbred its liger with a lion to produce the world's first Li-Liger offspring.

People Previously Believed
Ligers are Sterile People Assumed Ligers' Sterility
to be Same as Mules' Sterility Big Cat Experts
Ignored Breeding the Ligers Result of such Assumptions
Li-Ligers are Born very Late

Another big reason that contributed to the late birth of the Li-Ligers in captivity was the fewer numbers of the ligers. Throughout the 20th century the population of the ligers was less than 10 ligers on average. This population of the 10 ligers was distributed across various geographic locations and they were living alone in isolated enclosures. Furthermore; out of these 10 ligers very few of them will be the female ligers.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries the population of the liger was less than 10 in numbers. Female ligers were even less than this number and therefore the possibilities of their mating with the lions were rather impossible.

Therefore; this lesser and rare existence of the ligers probably didn't give much possibilities and opportunities for the big cat experts to crossbreed the female ligers with the lions to produce the Li-Ligers. Consequently; the Li-ligers failed to exist for almost 2 centuries and the delay was inevitable for this much period of time.Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries the population of the liger was less than 10 in numbers. Female ligers were even less than this number and therefore the possibilities of their mating with the lions were rather impossible to produce the Li-Ligers.

Fewer Numbers of Ligers
Late Birth of the Li-Ligers 19th & 20th Centuries
Only had 10 Ligers at Maximum Female Ligers were
Even more Rare Result of Fewer Ligers
Li-Ligers were only Born in 2012

Giving the ligers a specific focus for the general audience and keeping them in separate enclosures would have definitely minimized their chances of successful mating to produce the Li-Liger offspring. The zoo owners over the years kept the ligers separately to show them as individual and unique species to the people. Therefore; in such conditions the question of successful breeding of the ligers to produce the Li-Ligers went off the equation and the female ligers couldn't give birth to the Li-Ligers.

In order to display the ligers as the unique species, they were put in separate enclosures by the zookeepers in the past. Therefore; the ligers couldn't mate with any other big cat and no Li-Ligers emerged on the occasion.

Possibly; if they have kept the ligers with tigers or lions, it would have been harder for the people to notice the uniqueness of the ligers. Shasta the liger can be common example in this regard. She was the only liger in the world and she was kept alone in separate enclosure for her 24 years lifespan and didn’t produce any Li-Liger or Ti-Liger offspring.

Ligers in Separate Enclosures
Also Reduced the Possibility of the Li-Ligers Ligers were kept Separately
To Display them as Unique Species of Big Cats Result
Li-Ligers Failed to Emerge on the Occasion

In captivity; often it is assumed as a precaution that a pair of the big cats should be together right from the young age. This way they go along nicely throughout their lives and offer better chances of producing the offspring. Introducing the two big cats that are stranger for each another (later in the life) will create an aggressive attitude and may also cause a fatal injury or possible casualty.

Big cats are kept together right from the start for the better chances of successful mating and to avoid casualties. This factor certainly wouldn’t have hindered the ligers to be bred with the lions to produce Li-Ligers.

Big cats are highly territorial when they get mature and they do not like the presence of any other big cat within their enclosure. Male ligers are twice bigger in size than lions and tigers while the female ligers are almost as huge as lions and tigers, therefore; the zookeepers didn't take the risk of introducing the mature lions to the female ligers. Consequently; we didn’t see any Li-Ligers before.

Ligress & Lion Together
Produces Li-Ligers Ligress & Lion Should be
Together from Young Age Adult Lion & Ligress Introduction
Can be Fatal As a Precaution
Zookeepers Didn't put Lion & Ligress Together

Furthermore; it is highly possible that because of the aggressive nature of the male lions they were preferably paired with the lionesses only. When the male lions become mature in captivity, it becomes very hard to tame them. They often assume other big cats as their rivals. They may not act the same way as they used to act during their juvenile days and they exert dominance over the other big cats.

Difficulty in managing the male lions because of their aggressive nature would have also forced the zookeepers to put lions away from other big cats including the ligers. Therefore; there was no chance of Li-Ligers in such a scenario.

Therefore; to make things convenient and to ensure the continuous supply of the lion cubs within captivity, male lions would have been put in an enclosure with lionesses or tigresses only (to only produce the ligers). In our research at ligerworld.com, we only witnessed very rare footages where the male lion is sharing its enclosure with liger.

Mature Lions are
Very Aggressive Keeping Together Mature Lions & Ligress
Is Difficult if they are Strangers