Cape Lion Resurrection Attempt
A Siberian zoo is using a liger to cross with what could be a descendant of Cape lions (an extinct subspecies) to try and resurrect the subspecies. Exactly why they are using a liger is unexplained. (News source, via Kevin Stewart.)
Labels: felines
posted by Chad Arment @ 11:40 PM
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Good question.
The Siberian zoo is using a female liger crossed with a male lion that appears to have Cape lion traits.
Perhaps the breeding program is looking for size as well as Cape lion characteristics, since size is noted in the article. Also, as well, there would seem to be less lion genetic material from the liger so the male's offspring will be more "purely" Cape lion.
The liger is a cross between a male lion and a tigress. Because the lion sire passes on a growth-promoting gene, but the corresponding growth-inhibiting gene from the female lion is absent, ligers grow far larger than either parent. Male ligers are sterile, but female ligers are often fertile. Source: Markel, Scott; Darryl León (2003). Sequence Analysis in a Nutshell: a guide to common tools and databases. Sebastopol, California: O'Reily.
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