The Oakland Zoo’s veterinary team has taken in their newest patient: an 8-month-old female tiger cub removed from a privately owned facility somewhere in the Western U.S. Zoo officials cannot share information about the conditions in which the tiger was rescued due to an ongoing investigation into her prior ownership and care.
The zoo, working alongside the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, assisted in rescuing the cub and will care for her until she is healthy enough to be moved to a permanent home.
The cub was brought to the zoo on Feb. 22. and received a physical exam, a CT scan, and bloodwork upon arrival. According to zoo officials, the cub has multiple pathological bone fractures—fractures that occur from weakened bones—due to metabolic bone disease as a result of nutrient deficiencies.
“I’ve treated over 100 cases of rescued big cats, and unfortunately, these injuries can lead to lifelong medical issues,” said Dr. Ryan Sadler, senior veterinarian at Oakland Zoo.
About half of the muscles in the cub’s legs have atrophied, and she is being given a specialized diet and pain medication to aid in her recovery.
“We’ll know [soon] if she will require surgery or not on one of those fractures,” said Erin Dogan, vice president of marketing and communications for the zoo. “Her skeleton is recalcifying through this medical management.”
The Oakland Zoo is no stranger to taking in sick, injured, and improperly owned animals and has been the home of multiple big cat rescues over the years. Two years ago, the zoo took in two tigers that were rescued from an abandoned roadside zoo in Oklahoma.
According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, roadside zoos are generally “small menageries where wild animals like lions, tigers, monkeys, wolves, and others are kept in captivity and often suffer badly.”
Depending on where you are in the United States, there are various laws that allow the ownership and trade of wild animals. This has resulted in the existence of unaccredited, privately owned zoos across the country. The poor conditions and cruelty that can take place in these roadside zoos were the subject of the widely popular Netflix series “Tiger King.” The show highlighted a phenomenon known as “cub petting,” in which private zoos offer visitors the opportunity to pet, take photos, and sometimes bottle feed young big cats.
Dogan said that the condition in which this newest tiger cub was brought in is unfortunately common for tigers who are rescued from private ownership and the pet trade. She said that while she understands the appeal of roadside zoos, she urges the public to stay away and stay educated on which zoos are properly credited with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
“It’s really tempting to want to experience these things, but at the same time, it’s perpetuating the trade and the abuse that these animals have to endure, and it’s not fair to them,” said Dogan.
The Oakland Zoo was one of the supporters of the Big Cat Public Safety Act. The law, passed in 2022, banned both the private ownership of big cats as pets as well as public contact with them. The legislation additionally put further restrictions on the trade, breeding, and commerce associated with big cats. This is a step in the right direction for animal activists fighting to close down improperly owned, private zoos.
Once the tiger cub is fully healed, the zoo says that they will transfer her to a facility that specializes specifically in big cat care. Dogan emphasized the commitment of the Oakland Zoo to exemplary animal care and encouraged Oakland residents to check out the zoo’s various volunteer opportunities if they’re interested in getting involved.
“All animals in the wild or in captivity deserve the best quality of life,” said Dogan.
