It’s not exactly clear how this beautiful Bengal tiger called Aasha happened to be in the sad state she was in when she was rescued.
She was 9 months old, weighed around 30 pounds and had patches of her coat missing.
It’s thought she belonged to a traveling circus and was kept in a small cage with another tiger that didn’t appreciate her company.
Thankfully, Vicky Keahey, founder of an animal rescue in Texas called In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center, rescued her from her dire situation and introduced her to a very special playmate.
The struggling tiger, who weighed the same as a 3 month old, also had ringworm. according to The Dodo.
“Aasha’s bald spots covered almost her entire body, and her skin was dry [with] cracked, darkened areas and bleeding,” Vicky told The Dodo.
Handling the tiger
Looking after this neglected tiger required a lot of work, but Vicky was dedicated to the cause and never gave up on the timid creature, even risking her own life to form a bond with Aasha.
“Every day, twice a day, I would go in and give Aasha medications and spend time with her. I knew I was going to have to handle her in order to get her well.”
Aasha didn’t like water so giving her daily medicated baths was a struggle and often Vicky had to chase after her.
“After eight weeks of treatments you could see little bits of fuzz growing back to (what once were) bald spots,” Vicky said.
After 8 months of dedication from Vicky and her colleagues, Aasha was restored back to her beautiful self with a stunning coat and a healthy body weight. It was time to introduce her to other tigers.
Aasha enjoying the Christmas party! She is in her den area (where we put her presents) but she also has a large, grassy outdoor area with a pool. :)#Aasha #ChristmasParty(video by Karin Saucedo)
Posted by In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center on Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Aasha was introduced to a male tiger called Smuggler and it was love at first sight, for Smuggler anyway who was always showing off in front of her.
They went from playdates splashing about in Aasha’s pool to moving in together and their love for each other went from strength to strength.
Small for her age
Despite her small size compared to other female tigers her age, Aasha keeps her huge mate Smuggler on his toes and he knows when to stay out of her way.
See this sweet couple together in the clip below.
[arve url=”https://youtu.be/werc3BiXb68″ /]
The dedication that Vicky and her colleagues have shown to helping this sweet creature is commendable, they are true animal heroes.
Please share if you too love Aasha’s story.
