Apollo is a 5-year-old giant liger that has often been compared to saber-toothed tigers due to its massive size and weight.
The 705-pound heavy feline was bred in the U.S. and was a result of the mating between a female tiger and a male lion.
In the shocking footage, Instagram influencers and animal enthusiasts Kody Antle and Mike Holston are seen taking the beast for a casual stroll in Myrtle Beach Safari, South Carolina.
Compared to its carers who appear tiny in the footage, Apollo is definitely a cat worth its name. The 705-pound cat has even been compared to saber-toothed tigers which allegedly weighed up to 900 pounds.
Ligers are rare hybrids between male lions and female tigers that have been solely artificially bred since the 19th century as the two species live separately in the wild. Currently, it is estimated that there are around 1,000 ligers living in captivity around the world.
As for Apollo, he is extra special, as he and his three brothers are believed to be the first white ligers ever born.
While Apollo sure is a big kitty, the title of the largest living cat belongs to another liger named Hercules according to Guinness World Records.
Hercules stands at 11 feet tall when on his back legs and weighs over 900 pounds. To meet his daily food intake requirements, the male liger has to consume on average 20 pounds of meat per day.
“The question is, what would this thing eat? I believe it would eat everything in sight, anything in sight,” Mike said in his video.
“I think a pack of these things would take down a herd of elephants on the regular for a snack. Such a majestic beast and it can get up to 40 miles an hour in a couple of steps.”
While Apollo swiftly gained online fame with users praising the cat and calling it “majestic,” some people quickly pointed out that animals shouldn’t be artificially bred and that Apollo was most likely sedated so that the Instagramers could walk it around for their fun.
“That animal is an abomination… a human-made species that was man made just for fun,” one person wrote.
“Please next time inform about the health risks of cross breeding this species such as premature death, diseases and muscle/bone decay,” another one added.
“The liger is an amazing animal but the public should know that forcefully breeding animals that wouldn’t breed normally leads to a whole bunch of problems, like what is happening with certain dog breeds.”
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