Confinement in a concrete box has ended for 15 big cats.
On December 16, 12 tigers and three leopards were rescued from a tiger farm in northern Thailand, where the animals had spent their lives in captivity. The rescue was launched after legal action was taken against the clandestine farm for alleged illegal wildlife trade, according to the Thailand Wildlife Friends Foundation (WFFT).
Government officials and rescuers from WFFT visited the farm in December to begin removing animals to move to WFFT’s sanctuary. The rescuers first started moving the animals with the most urgent needs. WFFT expects a total of 35 big cats from the farm.
Thin tigress Salamas at a tiger farm before she was rescued by Friends of Wildlife Thailand.
WFFT/Amy Jones
Among the animals in the first group to leave the farm was Salamas, an older, thin tiger. WFFT decided not to sedate the 20-year-old tigress for her trip to the sanctuary due to fears that the older tigress would not wake up from the sedation. Instead, rescuers encouraged Salamas to move from his concrete enclosure to a transport cage. Salamas was then placed in a specialized wildlife ambulance, which was driven overnight to the tiger’s new home.
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The other big cats, who had breathing problems, no fur and other health issues, were sedated and underwent medical examinations before traveling to WFFT’s sanctuary. Now that the first batch of 15 animals has arrived at WFFT, the focus is on helping the big cats recover at the sanctuary’s Tiger Rescue Center.
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Thailand’s Friends of Wildlife Foundation rescued a leopard from a tiger farm.
WFFT/Amy Jones
According to WFFT, the animals have spent their entire lives in captivity in concrete enclosures, so a walk through the sanctuary will likely be the first time the big cats feel grass under their paws. The Tiger Rescue Center contains 17 hectares of natural land with space for the animals to swim, relax and play.
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The transport cages contained the rescue tigers that arrived at the Friends of Wildlife Foundation in Thailand.
WFFT/Amy Jones
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“We are thrilled to finally be giving these magnificent animals a new lease of life at WFFT’s Tiger Rescue Center. Unfortunately, they will never be able to return to the wild, but we can offer them the next best thing: a safe haven where they can roam the forested grounds, socialize with other tigers and even swim in the lake. We are grateful to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNP) of the Government of Thailand for taking action against the illegal wildlife trade and for working with WFFT to help bring these tigers to another the opportunity they deserve,” Edwin Wiek, founder and director of the Thai Wildlife Friends Foundation, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
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Tiger Rescue Center at Friends of Wildlife Foundation Thailand.
WFFT/Amy Jones
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To learn more about WFFT and how to help care for these recovering big cats, visit the organization’s website.
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