One of the lessons of Summer 2020 — and dear sweet Moses, there were a lot of lessons that summer — was that random untrained humans should not, under any circumstances, keep tigers. Not Joe Exotic, not Carole Baskin, and not the humans who, back in February, were found housing a severely injured tiger cub.
The big cat — now named Lily — had 10 leg fractures, 50% muscle atrophy and metabolic bone disease. Fortunately, the heroes of California’s Fish and Wildlife Department swept in, saved the little big cat and safely delivered her into the care of the Oakland Zoo. The vets at the zoo first gave Lily some much-needed medical assistance and calcium supplements, then went about coming up with new and inventive forms of enrichment to get Lily up and moving again. And they’ve had the good sense to document her progress on TikTok.
Within days of Lily’s first uneasy steps into professional care, the cub looked brighter, happier and already on the mend. Here she is playing with some strategically placed branches to keep her occupied while her body heals.
@oaklandzoo Rescued Tiger Update – To promote her healing, we are trying to limit some of her walking and movement while keeping her brain stimulated. However, this limits some of the enrichment we are able to give her. Luckily there are still plenty of things to keep her occupied. Young tigers like to practice their shredding techniques on branches and leaves! #tiger #rescue #notapet #notaphotoopp ♬ original sound – Oakland Zoo
