In March of this year a strange box arrived at the airport in Beirut, Lebanon. It had no labels explaining what was inside or any information about its origins or destination. It sat in a corner of a warehouse at the airport for a full week without anyone claiming it, until a judge finally ordered it to be opened.
What they found inside was not what anyone had expected…
In the cramped space just 16 inches high were three live Siberian tiger cubs.
They’re an endangered species. These three babies were starving, dehydrated, and covered with their own excrement. But perhaps worse, they were also suffering from a terrible maggot infestation.
The poor cubs had been locked up in terrible conditions and left unvaccinated. The animal rescue organization Animals Lebanon was fortunately permitted to move them to a safe place, treat them, and investigate their situation further. Only one of them had had a microchip inserted, despite them all being required to have one under international law governing endangered species in captivity.
Their paws were red and sore due to the urine that had accumulated at the bottom of the box. Since the box wasn’t tall enough for them to stand up, their legs were horribly cramped. All three had diarrhea and other awful digestive problems.
Eventually it was discovered that the tiger cubs came from a Ukrainian zoo. They were on their way to the zoo in Damascus, Syria, but due to lack of documentation — and possibly the Syrian civil war — the box they were in had been held up. Their mother had given birth to at least a dozen cubs since 2012, nine of which had been sold to «private/undisclosed buyers.» Who knows if they were treated any better…
Although they’re being cared for by a wild animal vet and have improved a lot, the rescue effort isn’t over yet. The Ukrainian zoo is suing to get them back. «Big cats can be worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market. The owner is fighting to get them back. And we are fighting for the tigers,» Animals Lebanon explained in a Facebook post.
No one knows what will happen to them in the end. But the rescue organization is doing everything they can to send them to a sanctuary so they can live peaceful lives with other members of their species. If the director of the zoo in the Ukraine succeeds, however, they could be shipped back and then sold off to exotic pet buyers.
Check out Animals Lebanon’s video:
STOP BABY TIGERS FROM ENDING UP IN THE BLACK MARKET!OUTRAGED?!?! SHARE this terrible story and help protect these three Siberian tigers.Stuck for seven days covered in their own urine and feces in a tiny maggot infested crate. They were shoved in a crate that was only 42 centimeters high while the animals were about 60 centimeters tall. These tigers were saved from further cruel suffering and possibly death by an order of a judge.They arrived a week earlier on a flight from Ukraine and were supposedly destined to a zoo in Syria.Nothing indicated that the box contained tigers or even live animals, and there were no details of a shipper or receiver. Other than an Air Waybill number, the box was completely unmarked…These four month old tigers are now in Animals Lebanon care. A specialized wildlife vet was flown in to give them all a medical examination. Their paw pads were raw and red from being covered in urine, and were their back legs and thighs. They had not received the proper vaccinations so all three were vaccinated. Only one tiger was found to have a microchip, though documents state that all three should have been microchipped.They are improving – but they are still at risk! Big cats can be worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market. The owner is fighting to get them back, and we are fighting for the tigers and rule of law.Siberian tigers are protected under the Convention on International Tarde of Endangered Species (CITES). They can only be traded under very specific circumstances, and only when a number of other conditions are met.Officials have already stated that the transport conditions do not meet the regulations of CITES or IATA Live Animal Regulations. The owner, exporter and shipper is one man listed as 'Private Entrepreneur'…Animals Lebanon submitted today our case asking for the animals not just to be seized, but to be permanently confiscated.The Ministry of Agriculture, Judge of Urgent Matters and Customs have all made the right decisions. Now they need a decision to permanently protect them and prevent them from becoming part of the multibillion dollar wildlife trafficking industry!
Posted by Animals Lebanon on Donnerstag, 30. März 2017
Animal rescue groups like AL need all the support they can get, as you can see. They’re up against a for-profit market that exploits wild animals and tolerates high levels of abuse.
Click here to donate to Animals Lebanon and help these three tiger cubs stay safe. And keep an eye out for ways to support groups in your area that are protecting wild animals from the illegal and harmful trade in «exotic» animals.
