Liger Rocky - Liger Profile
Rocky is a liger that lives in United States within Oklahoma animal sanctuary. Rocky is a mammoth cat. Just be standing on its back legs, Rocky can stand as tall as 12 feet and it weighs more than 1100 pounds. In 2008, Rocky was very healthy, powerful and had already reached the age of 10 years. Until now in 2010, Rocky will be 12 years old. Rocky the liger is a very popular liger among its visitors at Oklahoma animal sanctuary located in United States.
Just like many other wild cats in United States, Rocky was given to the sanctuary after its previous masters were unable to further keep it at their place. Rocky love to be with humans but its exposure with the humans is not that much high. He wants to love humans in its way. But with this strength and weight, his love and cuddle is too much forceful to easily break the ribs or bones of keepers caring him. Rocky is not that much trained as well about how to behave with the keepers and trainers therefore, it is dealt behind the grills mostly.
Rocky is the first liger in the world to claim the life of an individual. A volunteer at the sanctuary approached Rocky during its feeding time and Rocky just hauled, dragged and mauled him to a certain extent. The man was sent to hospital immediately but later was pronounced dead. The sanctuary had a clear warning not to go near Rocky even if they are cleaning. But certainly that individual ignored such warnings and entered into the cage and met that dreadful fate. This was a very sad incident.
The owner of the sanctuary is also very surprised and said it is specifically written there not to enter into the cage no matter what because the animal is not trained and is capable of giving a deadly blow. Yet still Getz ignored the warnings. Getz had a good experience with tigers at the sanctuary maybe that would have given him some urge and push to interact with the liger at the sanctuary. Some experts believed that it was deer meet season at the sanctuary which was liger's favorite and it took no chance against its meat and attacked the Getz (Celizic, 2008).
When Rocky Killed its keeper, there was a huge debate among media and newspapers that the liger should be shot or put to sleep. The zoo authorities denied to do so. The matter went into the course. After investigations work and putting into account ethical attributes, it was held that Rocky the liger will be kept alive. Since no one was allowed to go into the cage of liger, the keeper which got killed himself provoked the attack by getting into the cage of Rocky the liger. Therefore, the court order to gave a new life line to Rocky the liger and rightly so.
Rocky the liger is now fed meat from outside. After the incident no one goes insides, as it is understandably very dangerous for the person to go inside to feed him. There is always an element of risk if you enter the cage of a big cat. These animals may attack any time, and ligers are no exception. Even though they are very cute and cuddly at young, but whenever they grow up they are not by any means meant to be a pet.
