Fate of Rescued Oakland Zoo Tiger Cub Has Everyone in Their Feelings
It's a bittersweet time for workers at the Oakland Zoo. The zoo said goodbye to Lily, a 9-month-old rescue tiger they'd been caring for as she waited to find permanent placement. Well the day has finally arrived and now the zoo is sending her off with a sweet tribute online.
Oakland Zoo took Lily in back in March.
But in a few short months she's received the best of care. The Oakland Zoo recently shared a video of Lily's final moments with them on April 8 before heading off to her new home — the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in northern California.
Related: Video of a Tiger Playing Tug-of-War at North Dakota Zoo Makes Us Want to Visit
The video shows the team at Oakland working together to get Lily into her transport crate. She was driven to her new home by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"Lily is the eighth tiger to join their family," the video explained, speaking of PAWS. Which hopefully means she'll get the individualized care she so rightly deserves.
“It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to rescues (especially those as sweet as Lily), but we are very happy she has a trustworthy and expansive new home, and we are proud to have been able to nurse her back to health over the past one and a half months,” the zoo wrote on Instagram on April 9.
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The organization is more than happy to take Lily in. Speaking with WNCT, a spokesperson for the program explained that the tiger had a serious bone condition that will need treatment for the rest of her life.
“Our expert veterinary and caregiver staff will provide the care she needs as this special tiger begins her new life at PAWS,” a spokesperson for the sanctuary told the news outlet.
A press release from PAWS states the condition is called Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), which causes the bones to weaken, break, and shatter. Already Lily has had 10 bone fractures, muscle weakness, and difficulty walking. But they're hoping that they can lessen her symptoms even though they will alway persist.
“While the tiger will never be completely normal, her overall condition has greatly improved under the care of Oakland Zoo, and we are cautiously optimistic that she will continue to improve in our care at PAWS,” Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Jackie Gai said in the statement. “Many animals come to the sanctuary with a host of problems caused by the conditions of their captivity, and our staff have expertise in addressing their special medical and nutritional needs.”
Online people were sad to see Lily go, but grateful that she'd received such love and care. "You did it again! Congrats on Lily’s recovery, you people are the best thing that can happen to a sick or injured animal," one person praised. "Lily was given a great start, may she thrive in her new home," someone else chimed in. "Thanks for helping her. Enjoy your new home Lily," a third person chimed in.
PAWS has specifically designed Lily's new environment to address her medical needs. The organization can't confirm the details of Lily's capture, but the press release indicated her health condition might be the result of abuse.
“Lack of proper nutrition and care for captive wild cats is a form of abuse,” Director of Science, Research and Public Policy Catherine Doyle said in the statement. “Metabolic Bone Disease causes terrible and unnecessary suffering, yet it is frequently seen in captive wild cats when rescued from private owners, breeders, and roadside zoos."
But the tricky situation has only reaffirmed the organization's desire to help animals in need.
"Situations like this only reinforce our commitment to ending the exploitation and mistreatment of captive wild animals," he said.
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