Oakland Zoo treats injured tiger cub
The Oakland Zoo has begun treating a tiger cub that has multiple improperly healed fractures and shows signs of malnourishment after being rescued.
The zoo says that the cub is expected to make a full recovery, but remains under the care of veterinarians. The cub was likely poorly treated and ate an unhealthy diet, because its bones are severely lacking in calcium. The animal struggles to run and climb.
"For this little tiger gal, if things go well, probably in about a month, we'll be able to see if her skeleton is re-calcifying correctly," said Dr. Alex Herman, the vice president of veterinary services at the Oakland Zoo. "We have a lot of lab work pending."
The tiger was rescued from a private facility in the western U.S., officials said, but they were not more specific about where the cub had been kept. The federal government outlawed owning tigers, lions and big cats in 2022, after the widely popular "Tiger King" docu-series revealed conditions at facilities where such exotic animals were kept.
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The Oakland Zoo has rescued other tigers and was working on behalf of the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife. There are two other tigers at the zoo that were rescued from facilities linked to the "Tiger King."
The newly arrived cub will be moved to a larger facility when it's health improves.