A tiger cub is now safely in the hands of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, where it is receiving care after it was recently rescued by the Phoenix Police Department.
According to police, a tiger cub was illegally listed for sale on social media by a man in Phoenix in January. When officers were notified about the tiger cub being listed for sale, officers said they contacted the seller posing as a potential buyer. Once they gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant, the tiger cub and other exotic animals – including baby snapping turtles and a baby alligator – were seized and turned over to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
The director of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, Linda Searles, said her organization picked up the tiger cub and it now lives in a special enclosure in the animal hospital at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale where she is getting the care it needs. Searles said when the animal first arrived, it was a little wobbly but after being put onto a specified diet for tiger cubs, she has filled out and grown a lot.
“We are proud to say the tiger cub is a very active and healthy cub,” Searles said. “She has received lots of enrichment from the animal care team and medical staff at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. She has plenty of toys and entertainment to keep her busy while she waits to be taken to her forever home.”
The grand jury has indicted the man in charge of endangering and selling the tiger cub, but the case is still ongoing. The tiger cub will remain in the care of the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center until the case is settled. Once the case is settled, the animal will be sent to an out-of-state sanctuary that has other tigers and a large grassy treed enclosure with access to temperature-controlled indoor housing.
Southwest Wildlife, accredited by the American Sanctuary Association, rescues and rehabilitates wildlife that has been injured, displaced and orphaned. Once rehabilitated, they are returned to the wild. Sanctuary is provided to animals that cannot be released back to the wild.
Searles officially founded Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in 1994. Since then, the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center has rehabilitated thousands of sick, injured, orphaned or displaced wild animals. More than 70% have been successfully released back into the wild. Specially trained staff and volunteers are on call to respond to any wild mammal emergency that may arise.
For more information about the center, visit southwestwildlife.org or call 480-471-9109.
