Veterinarians in Greece are working hard to save a white tiger cub who was abandoned in a trash can at an Athens zoo, and who is believed to be the victim of the illegal wildlife trade.
The poor three-month-old white tiger was found on February 28 in the parking lot of the Attica Zoological Park. The worker who found the animal notified the zoo owner, Jean-Jacques Lesueur.
“It is the first time ever we had such an animal dumped outside our zoo,” Lesueur said.
“I mean, we had a number of cases of animals dumped, but usually these are abandoned pets — puppies, kittens, tortoises … but a tiger? Never.”
Security footage caught a vehicle driving up to the bins before midnight the previous night and authorities are working to trace the license plate. The tiger was thin, dehydrated, and in extremely serious condition.
“When I first saw the cub, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in front of me, I honestly couldn’t believe that an animal was in such a state,” zoo veterinarian Noi Psaroudaki said.
“She was probably fed an improper diet, and she is severely deficient in vitamins and minerals, and this makes her bones extremely fragile.”
According to Reuters, X-rays show that there was a metal pin in one of the cub’s back legs. Lesueur confirmed that if the cub survives, it will be relocated to a sanctuary.
Experts believe that this poor cub was a victim of the wildlife trade and was likely a cub that someone had acquired to be a ‘pet’.
If the demand for exotic pets did not exist, the exotic pet trade would not exist. So, if you agree that keeping exotic animals as pets is cruel, don’t support it either. Do not buy from pet shops or dealers. Leave the wild in the wild.
Animal shelters are filled with cats and dogs who need loving families and homes. You can also support the legislation to ban the ownership of exotic animals. With over 200 million live animal trades having taken place since 1975, it is vital that governments crack down on this cruel trade to protect individual animals and threatened species.
These animals need us to speak for them, so if you see an exotic animal living in terrible conditions as a pet (or one that is illegally owned) say something! You can report suspected abuse to local police who can take necessary action.
This small action might not make a difference for every animal suffering in the exotic pet trade, but it will make all the difference for that one creature!
You can also share this post to spread the word about exotic pets and show the world why this “fad” has got to go.
This article by Hailey Kanowsky was first published by OneGreenPlanet on 21 March 2023.
What you can do
Support ‘Fighting for Wildlife’ by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute. Thank you.
Fighting for Wildlife supports approved wildlife conservation organizations, which spend at least 80 percent of the money they raise on actual fieldwork, rather than administration and fundraising. When making a donation you can designate for which type of initiative it should be used – wildlife, oceans, forests or climate.
Leave a Reply