The tiger who came to tea… a bit too often! Fat cat is put on a diet

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

The real-life ‘Tiger Who Came to Tea’ was found by the police during a raid on a wildlife trafficking group.

After rounding up the suspects, Vietnam police then went to check on several animals locked up in cages.

They noticed a chubby tiger that apparently had difficulty standing up.

Realising the animal needed specialist help, police reached out to members of the Ninh Binh Bear Sanctuary in Ninh Binh, Vietnam.

The group operates in cooperation with the international animal welfare organisation Four Paws.

The overweight tiger was found by Vietnamese police during a raid on a wildlife trafficking group.

Police noticed that the tubby tiger, who was cramped in a tiny cage, had difficulty standing up due to its weight, and got in touch with an animal sanctuary. 

Officials were stunned to learn that the tiger weighed 31.5 stone, but volunteers who tended to the big cat said they have placed the animal on a strict diet.

A team of vets drove for over six hours to Phu Tho province in Vietnam where the tiger was found by the police on May 11. 

Officials were stunned to learn that the big cat weighed around 31.5 stone. Tigers usually 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 searing temperatures. 

Volunteers will now 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, around 388 tigers are kept in zoos, safaris and under private ownership.’

This is just one of the latest discoveries of wild animals in captivity for trafficking in Asia. Back in December, a starved tiger that was reduced to skin and bone was rescued from a Thai breeding farm. 

The emaciated female tiger Salamas was found struggling to stand or walk after losing so much weight inside a cage at a rundown facility in Mukdahan, northern Thailand. 

Harrowing pictures show Salamas with patches of fur missing from her skeletal frame as she lays exhausted and emaciated on the dirty concrete. 

The emaciated female tiger Salamas was found struggling to stand or walk after losing so much weight inside a cage at a rundown facility in Mukdahan, northern Thailand in December

Harrowing pictures show Salamas with patches of fur missing from her skeletal frame as she lays exhausted and emaciated on the dirty concrete

Salamas is among 53 tigers and leopards who were rescued from the breeding farm facing bankruptcy and prosecution over alleged illegal wildlife trading by vets and experts from the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT)

Salamas was among 53 tigers and leopards who were rescued from the breeding farm facing bankruptcy and prosecution over alleged illegal wildlife trading by vets and experts from the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT).

The other rescued animals included a timid female tiger named ‘A-1’ and a male tiger named ‘Rambo’, 20, suffering breathing problems.

The animals were confined in cramped and dirty enclosures their entire lives.

Officials said 35 tigers and 18 leopards in total were rescued from the farm.

Twelve elderly tigers and three ill leopards were the first to be saved. They were sedated and underwent health checks before being loaded in cages onto wildlife ambulances.

The rest – a further 23 tigers and 15 leopard – will be removed in the coming days.