This summer, take a walk on the wild side with one of Manchester Museum’s most remarkable residents - Maude the Tigon.

Maude is no ordinary big cat. She’s a tigon, the offspring of a male tiger and a female lion. But, not only does this make her an icon of Manchester’s zoological past, it also makes her a powerful symbol of our relationship with the natural world.

The natural habitats of the tiger and the lion do not overlap, so tigons are only found in captivity, bred for the pleasure of humans.

Born in Dresden Zoo in 1932 alongside her brother Kliou, Maude came to Manchester’s Belle Vue Zoo in 1936, brought over by zoo manager Gerald Iles. For more than a decade, she captivated visitors with her majestic presence and unique beauty. “She was always greatly admired,” Iles wrote in a heartfelt letter after her death in 1949. “Quiet, good-mannered, and perfectly groomed - she was loved by a very great number of our visitors.”

Black and white photo of the front of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens.

BELLE VIEW ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, 1943. (IMAGE: MANCHESTER LOCAL IMAGE COLLECTION)

Black and white photograph of Maude the tigon lounging on a surface in a newspaper clipping

MAUDE WAS SO POPULAR SHE WAS A FEATURE ON CHILDREN’S HOUR ON BBC RADIO 4.

After her death, Maude’s skin was preserved and gifted to Manchester Museum, but for decades it remained in storage - unseen and uncelebrated. That changed in 2015, when a local taxidermist expertly mounted her in a lifelike pose, finally returning this magnificent feline to the spotlight.

Today, Maude proudly stands on display at Manchester Museum, the first tigon to be exhibited in a UK museum in over a century. Her story is more than just a curiosity; it’s a glimpse into the city’s history and a reminder to reflect on the way we think about and treat the natural world.

Don’t miss your chance to meet Maude this summer - now proudly on display at Manchester Museum, continuing to captivate visitors just as she did nearly a century ago at Belle Vue Zoo.