“Discover the Shocking Truth Behind Nature’s Most Unbelievable Animal Hybrids You Never Knew Existed!”
The breed is extremely rare but breeding between the species has occurred unintentionally among big cats in captivity.
The breed is extremely rare but breeding between the species has occurred unintentionally among big cats in captivity.
In 2006, two jaglions were born in captivity at the Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
Jahzara (female, top) and Tsunami (male, below) were born after an unintended mating between a black jaguar named Diablo and a lioness named Lola who had been raised together since birth and were inseparable. In 2022, the sibling cats celebrated their 16th birthday.
Most hybrid species are infertile because of the genetic consequences of cross-species breeding. This means that they are not able to reproduce offspring on their own and will not raise young.
For this reason, cross-breeding of species is generally frowned upon in the animal husbandry community because it disrupts the natural breeding process and potentially impacts future generations of already endangered species.
In some rare cases, hybrid breeds are able to reproduce, however, their offspring will have difficulties growing up. They are more likely to suffer from genetic disorders, growth issues, and infertility.
These six-month-old litigon cubs are hybrids between a male African lion and a female tigon (which is a cross between a male tiger and lioness).