1st, 2nd & 3rd Generations of Hybrid Big Cats

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations of the hybrid big cats are the generations of the big cats that can successfully crossbreed with the inter-related species (similar big cats) to produce the hybrid offspring. The females of all of these three generations of the big cats are fertile and are capable of producing a new kind of a hybrid offspring. If we have a hybrid big cat born from the crossbreeding of the two inter-related species then this hybrid big cat will belong to the 1st generation of the hybrid big cat.

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations of the hybrid big cats have the ability to continuously and successfully crossbreed with the inter-related species to produce the new hybrid big cats.

In the second phase when the female of the first generation successfully breeds with any species of the big cats then the resultant offspring will be termed as the 2nd generation hybrid big cat. Finally; if the 2nd generation of the hybrid big cat successfully breeds with any big cat species then the resultant offspring will be the third generation hybrid big cat. The existence of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations of hybrid big cats indicate that that there is no dead-end to the process of big cat hybridization.

The presence of these different generations of the hybrid offspring is a clear indicator that there is no dead-end to the hybridization of the big cat species.

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The perfect example of the first generation of the hybrid big cats are the ligers. These big cats have also successfully paved the way for the 2nd and third generations of the hybrid big cats in the big cat family. A liger is an offspring of the male lion and the female tiger (tigress). Ligers were long thought to be sterile because of the lack of knowledge and continuous propaganda against the hybrid big cats. This resulted in a big deadlock about any possible knowledge about the fertility of the ligers.

Ligers are the perfect example of the first generation of the hybrid big cats. They are born to the male lion and the female tiger (tigress).

However; recently it has been firmly established that the female ligers are fertile and they are capable of producing viable offspring, as more and more female ligers started to give birth all over the world. The capability of the female ligers to give birth have paved the way for the 2nd and 3rd generations of the hybrid big cats.

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The Li-Ligers are the second generations of the hybrid big cats. A Li-Liger has the male lion (pure species) as its father and the female liger (hybrid species) as its mother. The Li-Ligers are called the second generation hybrid big cats because one of their parents i.e., their mother, is a hybrid big cat. The world's first Li-Liger was born in 2012 at the Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia.

Ligers give rise to the Li-Ligers which are also termed as the second generation of the hybrid big cats. The world's first Li-Liger was born at the Novosibirsk zoo in Russia. A Li-Liger has a male lion as its father and the female liger as its mother.

This first birth of the Li-ligers was the breakthrough about the female ligers' fertility and sterility. Onwards; many female ligers from all over the world (USA, Argentina and China) have successfully given births to the Li-Ligers. Unlike the lions and the tigers, the Li-Ligers have spotted patterns on their fur and they most probably inherit them from the 15000 commonly acquired genes which ever big cat possess.

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Li3-Ligers are the third generation of the hybrid big cats. Li3-Ligers are extremely rare and the world's only Li3-Ligers are present at the Wynnewood Zoo in Oklahoma, USA. Li3-Ligers are called the third generation of the hybrid big cats because they are born to the male lion and the female Li-Liger.

The Li3-Ligers are the offspring of the Li-Ligers (Female) and the lions. Li3-Ligers are classified as the third generation of the hybrid big cats. Li3-Ligers can possibly give birth to the fourth generation of the hybrid big cats which also means that there is no dead-end within the hybridization of the big cats.

Therefore; Li-Ligers pave the way for the third generation of the hybrid big cats and like the female ligers, the female Li-Ligers are also fertile as well. The purpose of breeding these Li3-Ligers is to educate people that hybridization within the big cat family is not the dead-end phenomenon and there will be a continuous cycle of the hybrid big cats which surely means that these Li3-Ligers can give birth to the Li4-ligers as well.

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But why is it that the ligers as the hybrid big cats are being able to successfully create a never-ending cycle of the hybrid big cat species while other hybrid animals don't? The reason lies within the chromosome numbers and successful meiosis of the lion and tiger hybridization. Both the lions and the tigers possess equal numbers of chromosomes i.e., 38 present within both. When chromosome numbers are equal; the possibility is that the resultant offspring will be fertile and will be free of any genetic defects.

Big cats such as the lions and the tigers have equal numbers of chromosomes, therefore; they can easily produce 1st, 2nd, 3rd and even further generations of the hybrid big cats without any genetic defects.

This offspring keeps on producing more and more generations of the hybrid offspring. Therefore; there will be no dead-end to the hybridization in this case. However; when the chromosome numbers will be unequal there will be genetic defects, sterility and the dead-end to the hybridization. Mules produced through donkey and hinny are the common example in this regard.

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Despite all these generations of the hybrid big cats, there might come a point when a generation of the hybrid big cat may become a pure species. This point will also be a key proof that all of these big cats have come into being from the common ancestor and the hybridization is taking place for millions of years. Right now it has been firmly established and proven that all the big cats share at least 13000 common genes.

Still more is required to learn about the hybridization of the big cats and the existence of the hybrid big cats such as ligers, li-ligers and the li3-ligers is very important in this regard.

Even recently; the researchers have also claimed that the hybrids can act as a panacea and elixir for the species in trouble. However; more studies are still needed to demonstrate the true nature of the hybrid big cats and for this reason the presence of the hybrid big cats is very essential and must within the captivity.

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