Tigers say ‘Bye, mom’ to dog that raised them
source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/31541834/ns/today_pets/
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Isabella, the golden retriever who last year adopted three white tiger cubs and saved a rural Kansas zoo, was having a last romp with her 140-pound “pups” in their spacious new enclosure. Although the tigers have never acted aggressively toward the gentle dog that they know as their mom, they’re simply getting too big to mingle unsupervised with a dog.
As they talked, the now-adolescent beasts splashed in their pool, clawed at a big deflated ball and nuzzled Isabella and her pup, Sandy — the dog that, in their eyes, is their sister.
“They love Isabella,” Allie Harvey said. “They love to play with Sandy the puppy more than they do Isabella. Izzy just kind of supervises everything.”
“The play is pretty much done with. We’re just kind of doing an interaction here this morning so that people can see that the animals still get along really well — but we’ve been supervising them,” Tom Harvey admitted.
The Bengal tigers — Nasira, Anjika and Sidani — will soon be celebrating their first birthday, just as the Harveys are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the zoo they have operated as a labor of love.
The Harveys regard the entire saga of the white tigers and their canine foster mom as little less than a miracle. Last year, as gas prices soared and the economy soured, they watched attendance at the zoo dwindle alarmingly, along with their income.
They decided to give themselves until Aug. 1, 2008, for things to turn around. If they didn’t, they saw no alternative to closing the park.
That’s when a white Bengal tiger they had gave birth to the triplets. Within 15 hours, she abandoned the helpless cubs.
It’s a pivotal moment, when the cubs will learn to live without their canine mom and sister.
Lauer asked if there were plans for the dogs to visit from time to time in the future.
“It’ll basically be nil,” Tom Harvey said.
Behind him, tigers and dogs ambled happily and peacefully in the enclosure — unaware that this was goodbye.
As they talked, the now-adolescent beasts splashed in their pool, clawed at a big deflated ball and nuzzled Isabella and her pup, Sandy — the dog that, in their eyes, is their sister.
“They love Isabella,” Allie Harvey said. “They love to play with Sandy the puppy more than they do Isabella. Izzy just kind of supervises everything.”
“The play is pretty much done with. We’re just kind of doing an interaction here this morning so that people can see that the animals still get along really well — but we’ve been supervising them,” Tom Harvey admitted.
The Bengal tigers — Nasira, Anjika and Sidani — will soon be celebrating their first birthday, just as the Harveys are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the zoo they have operated as a labor of love.
The Harveys regard the entire saga of the white tigers and their canine foster mom as little less than a miracle. Last year, as gas prices soared and the economy soured, they watched attendance at the zoo dwindle alarmingly, along with their income.
They decided to give themselves until Aug. 1, 2008, for things to turn around. If they didn’t, they saw no alternative to closing the park.
That’s when a white Bengal tiger they had gave birth to the triplets. Within 15 hours, she abandoned the helpless cubs.
It’s a pivotal moment, when the cubs will learn to live without their canine mom and sister.
Lauer asked if there were plans for the dogs to visit from time to time in the future.
“It’ll basically be nil,” Tom Harvey said.
Behind him, tigers and dogs ambled happily and peacefully in the enclosure — unaware that this was goodbye.
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- ClipsFC
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cabinettags
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really touching.
- 2 years ago
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cabinettags
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DeliaTheArtist
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A heart touching story, happy and sad at the same time. Dogs are very emotional animals, I bet she will miss them terribly!
- 2 years ago
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DeliaTheArtist
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ClipsFC
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DeliaTheArtist:
It's adorable how the dog just adopted them isn't it. No questions asked, just being a 'mom' - to cute
- 2 years ago
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ClipsFC
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netstorm2k8
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I got some dust in my eyes. That's all.
- 2 years ago
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netstorm2k8
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Bahlkris
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netstorm2k8:
yeah... me too. Thats a great story.
- 2 years ago
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Bahlkris
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ClipsFC
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netstorm2k8:
Me too .. hate that dust. I had it the other night too when I watched the 'closer' with her cat being put to sleep .. killed me with the dust flying around here.
- 2 years ago
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ClipsFC
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23485768934756
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That’s when a white Bengal tiger they had gave birth to the triplets. Within 15 hours, she abandoned the helpless cubs.
I wonder why she left them?
- 2 years ago
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23485768934756
