Hercules the Liger - Analysis
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Comments: Ligers do exist, and are the result of crossbreeding male lions and female tigers, a mix that could theoretically occur in the wild but probably doesn't (the species don't typically co-exist in the same habitat). An adult liger is usually larger than either of its parents.
The specimen in the photos, Hercules, not only exists but is something of a feline celebrity, having "acted" in movies and TV shows and even appeared as a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The pics were taken by photographer Sam Barcroft and appear to have been lifted directly from his website, where there are many more.
Likewise, the accompanying text seems to have been excerpted from an article in the February 16, 2005 edition of Daily Mail of London. The article goes on to note that lions have also been bred with leopards, producing "leopons," and leopards with jaguars, whose offspring are called "lepjags."
Sources and further reading:
The 10ft Liger Who's Still Growing...
Daily Mail, 16 February 2005It's a Lion & a Tiger, and Man Is It Huge!
New York Daily News, 17 February 2005
Last updated: 06/03/05
