Greek vets pull out all the stops to save the life of a rare white tiger cub. The young tiger was found severely neglected in a rubbish bin in the parking lot of an Athens zoo three weeks ago.
The tiger cub is three months old and severely weakened by malnutrition and dehydration. The animal also has an iron pin in one of its hind legs. Veterinarians are doing what they can, but don’t yet know if the tiger will survive.
The animal was found in the garbage by zoo staff at the end of February. The zoo has provided CCTV footage showing the suspects’ car to the police.
According to the owner of the zoo, animals are often dumped in the area. This usually concerns puppies, young cats and turtles. “But I’ve never seen a tiger dumped here, and certainly not such a rare one,” says the owner of the zoo.
If the tiger survives, the animal will go to a special animal shelter. The zoo itself does not have the necessary facilities to house the tiger. Several animal organizations have already reached out to the zoo to help.
The young tiger is probably a victim of the illegal animal trade. Many animals are smuggled from Asia and Africa to Europe via countries such as Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. There they are sold to collectors of exotic animals. When they can no longer care for the animals, they often dump them.
