Ligers Deaths & Causes

Evaluating different causes of deaths of ligers over different periods of times can really help to develop understanding about ligers and their diseases. Moreover, such an investigation can also help to determine, whether there are some similar cases of ligers' cause of deaths or they are different? Similar cases will indicate that there are some genetic short-comings of the ligers which need to be taken into account. On the other hand different death cases will indicate, they are just the normal species just like other wild cats which are tamed at the cages and sanctuaries.

The first case starts with one of the most famous liger Shasta. A female liger, which held a maximum record of living. Shasta lived for 24 years the largest age recorded for a liger. The cause of the death of Shasta was the Kidney failure. Moreover, according to some other sources Shasta the liger also sufered from Arthritis as well.

Another liger named as Samson which also reached the double digit age died because of renal failure. In other words kidney failure as well. So we have two cases of ligers that conclude a common death because of kidney failures, one in female and one in male.

Among the liger cubs the mortality is very common. Usually the female tigers which give the birth for the first time do not care much about the cubs and they die. This is also common with the lionesses as well. In 2007, a liger cub at the birth died because of genetic failure. However, its other three siblings survived with no such an issue. A world record holder tigress which has given birth to record 12 cubs at different births over the years, had only 2 liger cubs which died out 12.

Among the two liger cubs which were seized from the Taiwan, one of them just died because of very poor immune system. According to the authorities, these liger cubs were underweight as well. However, the question is why was it necessary to seize them away from their mother? The cub which died had genetic problems, fluid in its lungs and also kidney problems too.

A liger named as Nook was euthanized after it was being diagnosed with the bone cancer in captivity. This would probably be the first bone cancer case among the ligers. Nook the liger also lived for more than 20 years which is a tremendous for any big cat to live up that much long.