Photo by Renae Smith.
Finalist in the 2024 Tigers in America-Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries annual photo and video contest to celebrate International Tiger Day.
“In 2017 PAWS welcomed eight rescued tigers from a defunct roadside zoo in Colorado. The facility was constantly breeding tigers so the public could have photos taken with their cubs for a fee. These operations are a never-ending cycle of misery, with cubs forcibly removed from their mothers soon after birth so the paying public can handle them. Once they grow too big to be handled, they may be sold to private owners or used to breed even more cubs. More than 100 animals needed immediate placement in new homes after the zoo ceased business. Several reputable sanctuaries throughout the U.S. have stepped up to provide lifetime care for the animals from this rescue, with PAWS accepting eight tigers, including five males and three females ranging in age from five to 18 years old.”
— at PAWS ARK 2000