Liger at Bloemfontein Zoo, South Africa | Liger Zoos

South Africa’s Bloemfontein Zoo is also classified as a Liger Zoo in our hunt for liger zoos from all over the world. Bloemfontein Zoo is located at South Africa’s Bloemfontein city’s suburbs. If you are living in South Africa, and you want to know about ligers, then Bloemfontein Zoo is the best place to visit and get information about ligers. The exact address of this liger zoo is “Bloemfontein Zoo, Henry Street, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa”. Currently this Liger zoo is famous for a large quantity of primates at its zoo premises. Big cats such as tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards etc. are also part of this zoo as well.

Picture of a Liger at Bloemfontein Zoo in South Africa. Photo Courtesy of www.ligerworld.com

Currently; there are no ligers at Bloemfontein Liger Zoo. The last known liger at this Liger Zoo was named as Tokkelos the liger. That Liger was born at Bloemfontein Zoo during the early 1980s and it died during the year 1995. By the time Tokkelos the liger died, it was suffering a lot from cancer pain and it was forced to sleep by the authorities at Bloemfontein Zoo. Tokkelos the liger was believed to be one of the most ferocious ligers in the world and it even claimed the life of an animal caretaker at the zoo. The weight of this liger was around 800 to 900 pounds. Apart from that previously ligers were part of Bloemfontein Zoo from 1970s, 1943 to 1960, and 1930s as well. Therefore; ligers are part of this liger zoo for almost 100 years.

As many as 3 Liger cubs were born at Bloemfontein Zoo during 1940s. Photo Courtesy of www.ligerworld.com

Bloemfontein Zoo is currently famous for a large numbers of primates at its zoo premises. The Bloemfontein Zoo is in operation since 1906, and this liger zoo has a huge history with ligers. At one point during 1990s, the Bloemfontein Zoo was the only zoo in the world which had ligers. The Zoo itself claims that they are one of the pioneers for breeding ligers; during 1940s. Therefore; this liger zoo has a massive history (almost 75 years as of 2014) of ligers as compared to other liger zoos from around the world. We further assume that this zoo will also have one of the better records for the liger features than any other zoos which have only recently started to breed or rescue ligers. Records do indicate that this liger zoo has at least bred 12 to 15 ligers throughout their history of keeping ligers at their zoo premises.

The Bloemfontein Liger Zoo has a huge history of liger. Photo Courtesy of Bloemfontein Zoo South Africa

The biggest liger related events at this liger zoo at Bloemfontein includes the accumulation of their liger within Guinness Book of World Records of 1973. At that time, their biggest liger weighed around 750 pounds. Some other accounts also indicate that it was 750 Kg liger, but there is no verified resource about it. The death of Tokkelos the liger also made a huge headline throughout the world, as the zoo claims that at that time during 1995, there was only one liger in the world and that was Tokkelos the liger. Tokkelos the liger was also responsible for mauling an animal trainer as well, which also made a huge news buzz during 1980s. Dave Salmoni who is one of the starts at Animal Planet specifically mentioned about his experience of witnessing ligers at Bloemfontein Zoo in South Africa. Therefore; even celebrities are engaged with this liger zoo for referring their past experiences with the ligers at this liger zoo.

One of the ligers at Bloemfontein Liger Zoo has also appeared within Guinness Book of World Records as well. This might well be the first liger to have appeared in Guinness Book of World Records from South Africa. www.ligerworld.com

Africa throughout the 20th century was the heart of big cats. Many people from all around the world preferred to visit Africa to watch and even hunt lions and other animals. Usually the Europeans first travel to South Africa, and Bloemfontein Zoo at that time used to amuse people with the presence of the ligers at their premises. Tourists always found it very surprising to know that a bigger cat also exists along with the presence of tigers and lions and that included ligers.

Bloemfontein Liger Zoo was a famous destination during the 20th century to watch ligers at their enclosures. Photo Courtesy of  www.ligerworld.com

This Liger Zoo is an amazing place. However; currently if you might go to the zoo, you may not see a real liger but yet still you can collect a huge amount of information about ligers from this liger zoo which is situated at the suburbs of Bloemfontein, South Africa. Tripadvisor.com and yelp.com both have very positive reviews about this zoo. So we still believe you will enjoy your visit at this liger zoo at Bloemfontein, South Africa.

The Bloemfontein Liger Zoo in South Africa still has a lot of liger information to be shared with general public despite the fact that the zoo currently does not have any ligers as part of its zoo. Photo Courtesy of www.ligerworld.com

Questions