Eye Of The Liliger: Russian Zoo Rejoices At The Rarest Roar Of Them All… Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia has recently announced the birth of what is believed to be the world’s first and only Liliger cub. Representing a new interspecific hybrid breed within the Felidae family, the female liliger cub, named Kiara, is the offspring of a male African lion, Samson, and an 8-year-old female liger named Zita (herself the product of a mating between a male lion and a female tiger). A common misconception with hybrids such as these is that they are unable to reproduce; however this is only true of the males. Females are often quite capable of producing offspring if mated with a non-hybridised male. However, like with all births, complications can occur. Though delivering successfully, Zita stopped producing milk shortly after giving birth to Kiara and so the cub is currently having to be hand-fed artificial formula by zoo staff and has been temporarily fostered out to the care of the zoo’s resident domestic cat, Dasha (everyone say “awww….”) The birth of the liliger cub has sparked considerable debate over the ethical implications of “creating” another new big cat breed which would never ordinarily be found to occur in the wild. Critics also argue that there is zero conservational value in producing hybrid breeds and that rather they subtract from already stretched food, space and monetary resources within zoos. Personally though, I suspect that when the Rubles comes rolling in from all the extra visitors flocking to see this one-of-a-kind cute-‘n’-cuddly, Novosibirsk Zoo might then just look all the more like the cat that got the conservation cream. And how, meowww… 
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Eye Of The Liliger: Russian Zoo Rejoices At The Rarest Roar Of Them All… Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia has recently announced the birth of what is believed to be the world’s first and only Liliger cub. Representing a new interspecific hybrid breed within the Felidae family, the female liliger cub, named Kiara, is the offspring of a male African lion, Samson, and an 8-year-old female liger named Zita (herself the product of a mating between a male lion and a female tiger). A common misconception with hybrids such as these is that they are unable to reproduce; however this is only true of the males. Females are often quite capable of producing offspring if mated with a non-hybridised male. However, like with all births, complications can occur. Though delivering successfully, Zita stopped producing milk shortly after giving birth to Kiara and so the cub is currently having to be hand-fed artificial formula by zoo staff and has been temporarily fostered out to the care of the zoo’s resident domestic cat, Dasha (everyone say “awww….”) The birth of the liliger cub has sparked considerable debate over the ethical implications of “creating” another new big cat breed which would never ordinarily be found to occur in the wild. Critics also argue that there is zero conservational value in producing hybrid breeds and that rather they subtract from already stretched food, space and monetary resources within zoos. Personally though, I suspect that when the Rubles comes rolling in from all the extra visitors flocking to see this one-of-a-kind cute-‘n’-cuddly, Novosibirsk Zoo might then just look all the more like the cat that got the conservation cream. And how, meowww… 
Zoom Info
Eye Of The Liliger: Russian Zoo Rejoices At The Rarest Roar Of Them All… Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia has recently announced the birth of what is believed to be the world’s first and only Liliger cub. Representing a new interspecific hybrid breed within the Felidae family, the female liliger cub, named Kiara, is the offspring of a male African lion, Samson, and an 8-year-old female liger named Zita (herself the product of a mating between a male lion and a female tiger). A common misconception with hybrids such as these is that they are unable to reproduce; however this is only true of the males. Females are often quite capable of producing offspring if mated with a non-hybridised male. However, like with all births, complications can occur. Though delivering successfully, Zita stopped producing milk shortly after giving birth to Kiara and so the cub is currently having to be hand-fed artificial formula by zoo staff and has been temporarily fostered out to the care of the zoo’s resident domestic cat, Dasha (everyone say “awww….”) The birth of the liliger cub has sparked considerable debate over the ethical implications of “creating” another new big cat breed which would never ordinarily be found to occur in the wild. Critics also argue that there is zero conservational value in producing hybrid breeds and that rather they subtract from already stretched food, space and monetary resources within zoos. Personally though, I suspect that when the Rubles comes rolling in from all the extra visitors flocking to see this one-of-a-kind cute-‘n’-cuddly, Novosibirsk Zoo might then just look all the more like the cat that got the conservation cream. And how, meowww… 
Zoom Info
Eye Of The Liliger: Russian Zoo Rejoices At The Rarest Roar Of Them All… Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia has recently announced the birth of what is believed to be the world’s first and only Liliger cub. Representing a new interspecific hybrid breed within the Felidae family, the female liliger cub, named Kiara, is the offspring of a male African lion, Samson, and an 8-year-old female liger named Zita (herself the product of a mating between a male lion and a female tiger). A common misconception with hybrids such as these is that they are unable to reproduce; however this is only true of the males. Females are often quite capable of producing offspring if mated with a non-hybridised male. However, like with all births, complications can occur. Though delivering successfully, Zita stopped producing milk shortly after giving birth to Kiara and so the cub is currently having to be hand-fed artificial formula by zoo staff and has been temporarily fostered out to the care of the zoo’s resident domestic cat, Dasha (everyone say “awww….”) The birth of the liliger cub has sparked considerable debate over the ethical implications of “creating” another new big cat breed which would never ordinarily be found to occur in the wild. Critics also argue that there is zero conservational value in producing hybrid breeds and that rather they subtract from already stretched food, space and monetary resources within zoos. Personally though, I suspect that when the Rubles comes rolling in from all the extra visitors flocking to see this one-of-a-kind cute-‘n’-cuddly, Novosibirsk Zoo might then just look all the more like the cat that got the conservation cream. And how, meowww… 
Zoom Info
Eye Of The Liliger: Russian Zoo Rejoices At The Rarest Roar Of Them All… Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia has recently announced the birth of what is believed to be the world’s first and only Liliger cub. Representing a new interspecific hybrid breed within the Felidae family, the female liliger cub, named Kiara, is the offspring of a male African lion, Samson, and an 8-year-old female liger named Zita (herself the product of a mating between a male lion and a female tiger). A common misconception with hybrids such as these is that they are unable to reproduce; however this is only true of the males. Females are often quite capable of producing offspring if mated with a non-hybridised male. However, like with all births, complications can occur. Though delivering successfully, Zita stopped producing milk shortly after giving birth to Kiara and so the cub is currently having to be hand-fed artificial formula by zoo staff and has been temporarily fostered out to the care of the zoo’s resident domestic cat, Dasha (everyone say “awww….”) The birth of the liliger cub has sparked considerable debate over the ethical implications of “creating” another new big cat breed which would never ordinarily be found to occur in the wild. Critics also argue that there is zero conservational value in producing hybrid breeds and that rather they subtract from already stretched food, space and monetary resources within zoos. Personally though, I suspect that when the Rubles comes rolling in from all the extra visitors flocking to see this one-of-a-kind cute-‘n’-cuddly, Novosibirsk Zoo might then just look all the more like the cat that got the conservation cream. And how, meowww… 
Zoom Info

Eye Of The Liliger: Russian Zoo Rejoices At The Rarest Roar Of Them All…

Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia has recently announced the birth of what is believed to be the world’s first and only Liliger cub. Representing a new interspecific hybrid breed within the Felidae family, the female liliger cub, named Kiara, is the offspring of a male African lion, Samson, and an 8-year-old female liger named Zita (herself the product of a mating between a male lion and a female tiger).

A common misconception with hybrids such as these is that they are unable to reproduce; however this is only true of the males. Females are often quite capable of producing offspring if mated with a non-hybridised male. However, like with all births, complications can occur. Though delivering successfully, Zita stopped producing milk shortly after giving birth to Kiara and so the cub is currently having to be hand-fed artificial formula by zoo staff and has been temporarily fostered out to the care of the zoo’s resident domestic cat, Dasha (everyone say “awww….”)

The birth of the liliger cub has sparked considerable debate over the ethical implications of “creating” another new big cat breed which would never ordinarily be found to occur in the wild. Critics also argue that there is zero conservational value in producing hybrid breeds and that rather they subtract from already stretched food, space and monetary resources within zoos. Personally though, I suspect that when the Rubles comes rolling in from all the extra visitors flocking to see this one-of-a-kind cute-‘n’-cuddly, Novosibirsk Zoo might then just look all the more like the cat that got the conservation cream. And how, meowww… 

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