Michael Jackson 's Bengal tiger 'Thriller' has died of lung cancer at Tippi Hedren's wildlife preserve in Los Angeles, the actress has confirmed. The 13-year-old 375-pound female tiger died on June 11, 2012, at the Shambala Preserve in Acon.
'Thriller' moved to the preserve with her brother Sabu in 2006, after Jackson left his Neverland Ranch, though the singer himself died three years later. The pair of tigers were kept in a vast multi-acred compound, according to the Los Angeles, and Sabu still remains in "very good health". Hedren said 'Thriller' dominated her brother, unlike most female tigers who are submissive to their male counterparts. She added, "She was about a tough a tiger as we have known here. She ruled over Sabu.She was the queen. We were fascinated by her dominance". This week marks the third anniversary of Jackson's death - the singer had an affinity for animals, and also kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles.
After his death, Jackson's famous 'Thriller' jacket was auctioned for $1.8 million, with the proceeds going to Hedren to support the tigers. The actress still describes it as strange that the singer never made a donation himself, saying, "It always amazed me that Michael never called to see how they were and never made any provisions for them financially.It would have been very helpful to have had some sort of financial donation".