Michael Jackson's Neverland Tiger Named Thriller Has Died Aged 13

Michael Jackson's Neverland Pet Dies

Thriller, a tiger that belonged to Michael Jackson when the star lived at his Neverland ranch, has died of lung cancer.

The 13-year-old, 375lb tiger died at actress-activist Tippi Hedren's wildlife preserve in California.

Thriller and her brother Sabu were born on November 20, 1998, and lived with the late singer until May 4, 2006.

When the star left Neverland for good, his veterinarian asked Tippi to take the cats at her Shambala Preserve in Acton, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles.

Other Neverland animals, including giraffes, flamingos, orangutans, elephants and dozens of reptiles, were sent to other sanctuaries in other parts of the country.

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A view of Michael Jackson's Neverland

Michael, who died in 2009, often talked about his love of animals, but he never called to check on the tigers or sent any money to help pay for their care, Tippi said.

A year after the tigers arrived, she said staff sent a package of photos of Sabu and Thriller and T-shirts and other memorabilia to the singer's children, "but we never heard a word back. I just think it's odd".

Tippi said the tiger, who died on June 11, had no problem with the attention that came to her because of her fame.

"She didn't care. She was not a diva and didn't mug for the camera. We all loved her for it," she said.

Celebs Who Have Owned Unusual Pets
Paris Hilton's pet kinkajou(01 of07)
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This photo provided to the Associated Press shows Joey Fratto, 4, looking at an exotic pet kinkajou, "Baby Luv", left, held by its owner Paris Hilton as she parties at the Fratto house in Beverly Hills, Calif. A kinkajou is a nocturnal, tree-dwelling animal from South America's rainforests and has a dangerous bite as Hilton learned that night, when Baby Luv bit her on the arm and she was forced to go to an emergency room. (AP Photo/HO) (credit:AP)
Mike Tyson's Tigers(02 of07)
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30 Oct 1995: Mike Tyson accompanied by his baby tiger enters his workout place anticipating a fight with Buster Mathis Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Holly Stein/Allsport) (credit:Getty File)
The Kardashian's Pet Monkey(03 of07)
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In February 2009, the Kardashian sisters revealed they had gotten a pet monkey, named Suzy. According to Celebuzz, the monkey was three-years-old and is quite a handful for the Kardashian sisters and their mother. (credit:Getty File)
Hugh Hefner's Pets(04 of07)
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Hugh Hefner's Los Angeles Playboy Mansion, known for its wild parties, also has its own zoo. In this 2006 picture, Hefner's former girlfriend Holly Madison is seen feeding monkeys at the mansion's zoo. (credit:Getty File)
George Clooney's Pet Pig(05 of07)
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For 18 years, George Clooney shared his home with his friend Max until the pig died in 2006. The pig was a Vietnamese black bristled potbellied pig that weighed over 300 pounds. (credit:Getty File)
Megan Fox's Pet Pig(06 of07)
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Although she had to give him up in 2009, Megan Fox used to have a pet pot bellied pig named Piggy Smalls.According to ShowbizSpy, Fox was quite sad to give up her pig. "It broke my heart because I love that pig. I still miss him but he's very happy where his [sic] is," she said. (credit:Getty File)
Kristen Stewart's Pet Wolf(07 of07)
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It turns out "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart is friendly with wolves in real life too. She owns a wolf-dog hybrid named Jack. She said in an interview with David Letterman last year, "I know he looks kind of scary, he's a wolf. He's really sweet, he, like, falls at my feet." (credit:Getty File)