by Melvin Prudente
There are multiple big cats in the wild that are really interesting. Out of all the wild cats, the hybrid cats are usually the most adored and worshiped. Hybrid cats are distinct, and have unique features that are related to their parents. Hybrid cats include ligers, tigons, and leopons; they are combinations of cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, and cougars. The big cats mostly belong to the genus panthera. Here are the top 5 most interesting and historical cats. 
5: Lions
Lions are big cats that live up to 10-17 years and weigh around 100 pounds as an adult. They live in Africa and Asia, but they are decreasing in population, especially in Asia. Since their population is decreasing, their interesting features and skills might not be seen any more; one of these skills is creating roars that can be heard from up to 5 miles away. They can leap as far as 36 feet, and run at a pace of 50 miles per hour. African lions are the most social of all the big cats, and live together in groups or “prides” consisting of 15 lions. They often hunt in groups of two or three, using teamwork to stalk, surround, and kill their prey.
4: Tigers
Tigers are the largest members of the cat family, and are known for their strength and power. Tigers are one of the most feared predators in the wild, capable of killing an animal 2 times its size. The key to a tiger’s power is its canine teeth; just like its ancestor, the sabre-toothed cat, the tiger uses its canines to kill 98% of its prey. The tiger’s strength and power really impresses people, including me. They live in Asia near swamps, grasslands, and rain forests that have been hybridized to help them. Tigers have been used to create ligers and tigons, which have certain features of both lions and tigers. Ligers have the stripes and body of a tiger, but the face and mane of a lion. Tigons have the eyes and face of a tiger but the body of a lion. These hybrids mainly have the life span of a tiger, living up to 20-26 years, and they are growing in population. The population of tigers is 2,226 in the wild, and it is progressing every year.
3: Leopards
In my opinion, leopards are the most powerful members of the cat family. Their body structures are proven to be effective for hunting in the wild. Their sleek and powerful body helps them run at a speed of 57 kilometers per hour. They are excellent swimmers and climbers, and they can make some of the sharpest turns in the wild. Leopards are ambush predators; they crouch low to sneak up to their prey, and pounce before it has a chance to react. According to the Animal Diversity Web, a database maintained by the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan, a leopard will kill its prey with one swift bite to the neck. I personally believe that the leopards are underrated as one of the strongest big cats.
2: Jaguars
Jaguars are the biggest cats in America, and the third largest cats in the world. I believe that their features and appearance make them look harmless, but they are deadly. They are identified by their yellow or orange coats, dark spots and short legs. The dark spots on their coats are unlike any other cat’s spots. Each spot looks like a rose, and are called rosettes. They run at a great pace, which is really good for the hybrid of leopards and jaguars; these hybrids are called jaglions, and have one the sharpest turns in the wild. The range of ability jaguars have is what makes them so cool. Even though they look harmless, they are very good predators.
1: Pumas
Pumas are my favorite big cats in the wild. They are the only ones on this list that don’t belong to the panthera genus. Their incredible bodies and abilities are the most unique out of all the big cats in the wild. They have a great amount of power, just like the lions, but they also have great structures. Many scientists who analyze the big cats believe that pumas are the third most powerful 
cats in the world. Their geographic location is the widest in the western hemisphere. They are called many things, such as cougars, mountain lions and their main name, which of course is pumas; the names are different depending on their different locations. Their unique talent I mentioned earlier is hunting both really big animals and really fast animals. To me, pumas are the mix of all these big cats I have listed in the top 5. They have the second most powerful jaw of the big cats, and the run at an impressive pace of 50 miles per hour. They are the mix of all cats which is why they are so great.
This list shows the big cats that are the most interesting and amazing in the world, in my point of view. Hopefully you never run into one in person, because they’re dangerous. I hope you enjoyed my list!
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