Michael Jackson's Tiger Dies From Lung Cancer
A tiger that once belonged to the late Michael Jackson, has died of lung cancer.
The tiger, which was featured with Jackson on the cover of the album "Thriller," passed away at the wildlife preserve owned by actress Tippi Hedren, according to the Associated Press.
The 13-year-old, 375-pound tiger died June 11, 2 weeks before the third anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. It was cremated and the ashes were buried at Hedren's Shambala Preserve In Action, located about 50 miles north of Los Angeles.
Hedren said there was not enough room for the tiger and her brother Sabu when they moved after Jackson left the Neverland ranch in 2006 due to financial problems. So Hedren said she built a $79,000 habitat next to the preserve's lake.
"Thriller was a real piece of work, one gutsy girl. She ruled Sabu's life," she said, according to the Associated Press.
"It was humorous to watch the whole relationship. She did things to him that male tigers would normally never allow. She would steal food from him. That's unheard of. She ruled the roost, was very independent and tough".
"Because Thriller was a famous tiger, she was very popular with visitors and media" added Hedren.
"She didn't care. She was not a diva and didn't mug for the camera. We all loved her for it," she said according to the AP report.
Thriller and her brother Sabu were born on Nov. 20, 1998, and lived with Jackson until May 4, 2006, according to Hedren.
Jackson died on June 25 in 2009 and his death was ruled a homicide caused primarily by the powerful anesthetic propofol. His personal doctor Conrad Murray is serving a four-year jail term for involuntary manslaughter.
Tippi Hedren is a legendary actress who was discovered by the late film director Alfred Hitchcock in the 1950's. She appeared in two of his biggest films "The Birds" and "Marnie".
Since then Hedren has appeared in nearly 50 films and became an activist.
Hedren's daughter is actress Melanie Griffith who is married to actor Antonio Banderas.
