Michael Jackson's pet tiger has lost her battle with lung cancer at actress Tippi Hedren's Shambala Preserve in rural California.

The big cat, named Thriller, used to live at the King of Pop's Neverland ranch in Santa Barbara, California with her brother Sabu.

When Jackson departed the ranch after his child molestation court case in 2006, his veterinarian asked Hedren to take the tigers in at her sanctuary in Acton. Thriller had lived there ever since.

She was 13 when she died on 11 June (12). The tiger has been cremated and Hedren and her staff are planning to hold a private service to say farewell to the big cat.

Hedren tells The Associated Press that she has always thought it strange that Jackson never called to check on his tigers - or offer to help with the animals' upkeep.

She reveals she sent a package of photos of Sabu and Thriller and T-shirts and other memorabilia to Jackson's children a year after the big cats arrived at Shambala, but heard nothing back.

She says, "I just think it's odd."