Syger

Syger (サイガー, Saigaa) was the name given to a mystical saber-toothed tiger, residing in Unicorn's Cave in Oracle of Seasons. Syger's only true weak point was the red ball shaped object attached to its tail. Unfortunately for Link, Syger made this hard for the hero by constantly rolling up in a spiked ball, thus protecting his weak spot and allowing him to hurt Link. Syger's stamina was not unlimited though, and it was forced to stop every few seconds between attacks. This gave Link time to shatter the ball on Syger's tail with his sword, killing the big cat.

Trivia

 * Syger and Granny's pet tiger from Ocarina of Time are the only two tiger-like characters in The Legend of Zelda series.