The liger is the offspring of a male lion (Panthera leo) and a female tiger (Panthera tigris). There is another type of lion-tiger hybrid called a tigon, which results from the breeding of a male tiger and a female lion. But ligers specifically have male lions as their fathers and female tigers (aka tigresses) as their mothers.
How do ligers exist? Is it through accidental mating in the wild? Though natural breeding of ligers is possible, it's rare because lions and tigers do not typically exist in the same geographic areas. Therefore, ligers are typically bred in captivity and exist at a zoo or animal sanctuary.
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The first breeding between a male lion and female tiger to create a liger is believed to have occurred in the late 1700s. There are currently only about 100 ligers around the world. U.S. houses the most ligers, followed by China. Ligers also exist in Russia, Germany, South Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan, Australia and Indonesia.