updated 7/31/2008
CANEY, Kan. — A dog at a southeast Kansas zoo has adopted three tiger cubs abandoned by their mother. Safari Zoological Park owner Tom Harvey said the tiger cubs were born Sunday, but the mother had problems with them.
A day later, the mother stopped caring for them. Harvey said the cubs were wandering around, trying to find their birth mother, who wouldn’t pay attention to them. That’s when the cubs were put in the care of a golden retriever, Harvey said.
Harvey said it’s unusual for dogs to care for tiger cubs, but it does happen. He said he has seen reports of pigs nursing cubs in China, and he actually got the golden retriever after his wife saw television accounts of dogs caring for tiger cubs.
Puppies take about the same amount of time as tiger cubs to develop, and Harvey said the adoptive mother just recently weaned her own puppies.
“The timing couldn’t have been any better,” he said.
No difference for dog
The mother doesn’t know the difference, Harvey said. He said the adopted mother licks, cleans and feeds the cubs.
The Safari Zoological Park is a licensed facility open since 1989 and specializes in endangered species.
It has leopards, lions, cougars, baboons, ring-tailed lemurs, bears and other animals. It currently has seven white tigers and two orange tigers.
Because white tigers are inbred from the first specimen found more than a half-century ago, they are not as genetically stable as orange tigers.
The zoo’s previous litter of white tiger cubs was born April 23, although one of the three has since gone to a private zoo near Oklahoma City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Allee Willis
So cute I can’t stand it!!
(The AWMOK Jungle Animal Petting Zoo is a scenic attraction whose cages are currently being filled to coincide with the release of the upcoming Pomplamoose with Allee Willis “Jungle Animal” VideoSong and online music game and contest. Jungle tamer, AWMOK creator, curator and charming hostess, Allee Willis, me, will be steadily leading jungle animals to their cages over the next 1-2 months or so as you bring them here until the song is released. If ever there ever was a category that was primed to be kitschified it’s that of “Jungle Animal” as all the stripes, spots and fur have been inspiration for designers since the beginning of time. I thank you all in advance for placing your jungle pets in such an illustrious cage as The Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch. Keep them coming!) our adult and my
windupkitty
we have alot to learn from animals, that’s for sure…what a lovely,lovely story! thanks for sharing! man, i just want to jump in there and hug them all!
denny
Me too Wind Up! I just want to smooch on all of them. That “Mommy” dog is gorgeous.