Ligers Are Actually Real Animals, And Utah’s Hogle Zoo Was Home To One Of The Most Famous Hybrids

Are ligers actually real animals? Surprisingly they are. If you grew up in Utah, you might remember Shasta the Liger. Children in the 1950s and 1960s were lucky enough to see her in person; those in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, saw Shasta’s stuffed remains at the zoo.

In the 19th century, people became fascinated by hybrid animals, and the liger was one of the most popular. A liger is the result of the mating of a male lion and a female tiger.

Back in 1948, Hogle Zoo was still quite small. It moved to its current location in Emigration Canyon in 1931, but it wasn't nearly as popular as it is today. On May 6th, Shasta the Liger was born, and the zoo immediately became famous.

People came from all over the world to see Shasta. While ligers had been bred and born overseas for years, Shasta was the first American cub, and she generated a lot of publicity.

*This stock photo isn't Shasta - it's another liger that's currently living somewhere else in the world.

Shasta was just two pounds when she was born. She was bottle-fed for months while she grew to 30 pounds. An article in Life Magazine stated she loved to climb, and entertained visitors with her antics.

*This stock photo isn't Shasta - it's another liger that's currently living somewhere else in the world.

Shasta spent her entire life at Hogle Zoo and died at the age of 24 due to kidney failure. She still holds the record for the longest-living liger in captivity.

After her death, she was sent to a taxidermist, and her body was on display at the zoo for decades.

Today, the idea of creating hybrid animals is out of vogue, and zoos focus on preserving species instead of creating spectacles. However, ligers are still born at American zoos... completely by accident.

Today, there are around 30 ligers in American Zoos; China has 20. Worldwide, there are around 100 ligers living in captivity.

In 1997, Shasta's body was removed from Hogle Zoo, due to the controversy of creating hybrids. She's now located at the Bean Life Science Museum on the campus of BYU, where you can still see her today.

The Hogle Zoo liger was the most famous liger in the United States because she was the first bred in captivity. Did you see Shasta the liger when she lived at Hogle Zoo? We’d love to hear your memories in the comments!

To see what animals call Hogle Zoo home, visit the zoo's website, and make sure to follow its Facebook page, where you'll find lots of ongoing events.