Tubby tiger weighing 31 stone put on strict diet following rescue from tiny cage

A tubby tiger that weighs 31.5 stone has been put on a strict diet after being rescued from a tiny cage during a police raid.

Police swooped on a wildlife trafficking group in Phu Tho province in northern Vietnam on May 11 where they rounded up the suspects before checking on several animals locked up in cages. They found the chubby tiger locked inside a cramped cage.

Officers found the tiger apparently had difficulty standing up and realised it needed specialist help. Police then reached out to members of the Ninh Bnh Bear Sanctuary about six hours away. The group works in cooperation with the international animal welfare organisation Four Paws.

A team of vets were stunned to find the cat weighed about 31.5 stone. Tigers typically weigh between 10 stone and 26 stone.

On the long journey back to Ninh Binh, vets had to regularly stop to check on the tiger and give it water due to the searing temperatures. Volunteers will not place the tiger on a strict diet so it can shed its excess weight.

A shelter spokesperson said: “The illegal trafficking of tigers persists, driven by the demand for tiger bone glue, body parts for traditional medicines, and ornamental purposes. This places the species’ survival in danger and causes severe suffering to these magnificent creatures.

“We are committed to fighting against this cruel trade, advocating for the protection and welfare of tigers. According to the Forest Protection Department (FPD), around 388 tigers are kept in zoos, safaris and under private ownership.”

UK charity Traffic, which works to end the illegal trade of wild animals, said in August last year that in the past 20 years Vietnam had seized the equivalent of 216 tigers. It said the number accounted for about 10 per cent of all tigers seized in the 13 countries that tigers roam.

Source: bing.com