Chapter Text
CONCEPT -
social lion ( Chi Cheng) x solitary tiger ( Wu suowei)
Lets know the characters -
Chi Cheng (Lion) - recently translocated from Gir Forest. Social, warm, loud, and deeply touch-starved after being separated from his pride. He doesn’t know how to be alone… until he meets someone who teaches him the beauty of silence.
Wu Suowei (Tiger) - A solitary, territorial resident of Kuno. Independent, elegant, and easily annoyed. He values his space above everything - until one loud, clingy lion starts breaking down his walls.
Rest characters will be introduced as the story proceeds.
There will also be a cub Liger (Lion + Tiger = Liger). Here we are doing MxM.
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While hybridization (the breeding of two different species) does happen in nature , the specific cross between a lion and a tiger almost never occurs in the wild.
The main reasons are -
Separate Continents: Lions primarily live in Africa, while tigers are found in Asia. Their natural habitats almost never overlap
Different Behaviors: Their social structures are opposite. Lions are highly social and live in prides, while tigers are solitary and territorial. This keeps them from interacting as potential mates .
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But we are solving these problems -
India is the only country in the world where both species live in the wild. Bengal tigers are found across the country, while Asiatic lions live exclusively in the Gir Forest in Gujarat. And both wild lions and tigers share a history of overlapping habitats and continue to roam the nation's ecosystems.
The ongoing real world controversy (Gujarat vs. Madhya Pradesh, Supreme Court involvement) - Despite a 2013 Supreme Court mandate to make Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh the second home for Asiatic lions, The relocation from Gujrat's Gir remains stalled.
This story takes place after that relocation finally happens.
(God knows when in real life. But in fiction? It happens.)
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Why Kuno? - Kuno is a transition zone between dry deciduous forest and thorn forest.
The sanctuary has:
Mixed vegetation that suits both species' preferred habitats
A single river (the Kuno) that bisects the sanctuary vertically - this becomes their only reliable water source during dry season.
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Why this idea - I've watched too much Animal Planet. And thanks to Dean, my interest in wild cats has only grown.
If someone asks me - cats or dogs? I always go for cats. But not the domestic ones.
(I'll take a snow leopard, btw.)