Fact or Myth?

Lions and tigers can meet in the wild.

Myth: Lions only live in Africa while tigers only live in Asia. Ligers would not be found in the wild.

Lions are the king of the jungle.

Myth: The true kings of the jungle are tigers! Tigers are the largest cats in the world. They also have the Chinese “wang” symbol, which means "king", on their forehead.

Tigers like to swim.

Fact: Tigers love to swim! Tigers have been noted to swim 20 miles in one day.

White tigers are albinos. OR White tigers are also called Snow Tigers.

Myth: White tigers are not albinos or a different species. The white color is a recessive gene that results from inbreeding. Only 1 in 10,000 births in the wild are white tigers. White tigers would not survive very long in the wild because they do not have the right camouflage

Each tiger has a unique stripe pattern.

Fact: Every tiger does have a unique stripe pattern. You can identify tigers by their stripes. Thor, who lives in our sanctuary, has a heart shaped stripe on her left hip.

Tigers and lions can purr.

Myth: Any big cat (lion, tiger, jaguar or leopard) cannot purr. Tigers make a chuffing sound which is an outward blowing of air that is a friendly greeting. Cheetahs who are not technically big cats can purr.

Tiger and lions can retract their claws like a house cat.

Fact: Tigers and lions can actually retract their claws just like a house cat! They only have their claws out when they are needed. Cheetahs on the other hand cannot retract their claws so they are always extended.

Lions are born spotted.

Fact: Lions are born spotted and will outgrow them. Sometimes females will retain a few spots into adulthood. Our lion, Alexis, has some spots on her legs and belly!

Lions can be heard up to five miles away.

Fact: Lions have one of the loudest roars and can be heard about five miles away. If you catch Alexis on the right day she'll be happy to demonstrate!

Tigers live together in the wild.

Myth: Tigers are solitary animals and will only come together to mate. Females do all the raising of cubs. The cubs will stay with their mother until they are about 18 months to two years old and will go off on their own when they make their first kill.