Ligers as Social Big Cats

Ligers are also classified as the social big cats in the big cat family of hybrids. Their social behavioral traits are not only touted by liger experts who breed them but also by animal caretakers. Ligers inherit their social characteristics from their fathers i.e., lions. Lions are the only big cats in the big cat family who socialize. This makes ligers closer to lions rather than tigers for social behavior. Tigers on the other hand are solitary big cats and they tend to live on their own when they reach the age of maturity.

Ligers are social big cats that inherit their social characteristics from their fathers, i.e., lions. Tigers, on the other hand, are solitary big cats.

Social Traits of Ligers

Social Trait	True/False
Lions' roaring	True
Join other lions' roaring	True
Chuff like tigers	True
Communicate with caretakers	True
Easy-going with caretakers	True
Accept other big cats	True
Territorial	True
Live in Groups	True
Form Coalitions	True
This table outlines the social traits of ligers.

The presence of social behavior within ligers was first proposed by a liger expert named Dr. Bhagavan Antle. Giving interviews to many mainstream media, he has always maintained that ligers are social big cats and they tend to socialize a lot with the other big cats. He relates their social behavior with that of lions. On the other hand, from the tigress side, he maintains that a liger inherits a very calm and soft personality. According to him, ligers are not as aggressive as male lions. He relates the calmness of ligers to that of tigress. Remember Dr. Bhagavan has more than 3 decades of experience with ligers and other big cats. He runs Myrtle Beach Safari, an animal safari park located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA.

Dr. Bhagavan Antle is one of the famous big cat experts, who always acknowledges the presence of the social traits within ligers.

The solitary big cats like tigers and jaguars prefer solitude in captivity. Ligers in captivity preferably live with other big cats. Other social behaviors of ligers include their communication through roaring and chuffing. According to the witnesses, ligers join roaring with other lions in their enclosures or nearby enclosures which is the key part of their social behavior. Ligers also tend to reply to the roars of other big cats which is again a social behavior. Similarly; they chuff like tigers with the other big cats in captivity and with their caretakers.

As part of the social process, ligers also join the roars of other lions and also tend to chuff like tigers for communication.

Lions in the wild live as the social big cats. They live in groups called prides. Male lions also create a strong bond with other male lions. A group of male lions is called a coalition. Will male ligers also form coalitions like male lions in the wild? The answer may never be witnessed as there are no ligers in the wild. However, it can be speculated that ligers are the social big cats, their chances of having a coalition and living in a pride are highly possible. Zoo d'Abruzzo is one such place where in one enclosure three big male ligers live. They live like a coalition and tolerate each other.

Since ligers have never existed in the wild, therefore; no one has witnessed their wild social behavior. However; there is a probability that they would have lived in groups like lions to hunt bigger prey.

Lastly, ligers are among the handful of big cats that possess and exhibit social behavior. Only lions, leopards of Rajasthan (India), and male Cheetahs form coalitions. And that's why they are called the social cats of the wild. Ancient big cats like Saber-toothed tigers were as huge as ligers and they used to live and hunt in groups. Therefore, they are also classified as the social big cats. All other big cats, i.e., tigers, snow leopards, jaguars, pumas, lynxes, and caracals prefer to live as solitary big cats in the wild.

Among big cats lions, leopards (Rajasthan), and male cheetahs (forming coalition). And now ligers are considered as social. The rest of the big cats are solitary and prefer solitude.