Athens zoo fights to save tiger cub found in garbage

STORY: Veterinarians are fighting to save this white

tiger cub that was abandoned in a trash bin

Locator: Athens, Greece

The 3-month-old cub was discovered in

the Attica Zoological Park’s parking lot

(Jean-Jacques Lesueur, Zoo founder)

“I was advised by one of the employees who takes care of our morning cleaning and rubbish collection that below one of the bins at the end of the zoo, at the parking in fact, there is this big white cat and he was a bit surprised and I said what do you mean? And he said well come and see so I went there and to my great surprise this big white cat, it was a baby tiger cub. It was in a bad state, it was dirty, it was a bit afraid, it looked thin and dehydrated.”

The zoo's security video shows a vehicle driving

up to the bins before midnight the night before

The cub is believed to be a victim of the illegal wildlife trade

(Noi Psaroudaki, Zoo veterinarian)

“When I first saw the cub, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in front of me, I honestly couldn’t believe that an animal was in such a state. I have read many reports of victims of the illegal wildlife trade but until you see it in front of you, you cannot grasp the severity of the health issues its faced with. It’s very sad... She was probably fed an improper diet, and she is severely deficient in vitamins and minerals, and this makes her bones extremely fragile."

If the tiger survives, it will have to be relocated to a sanctuary

The illegal wildlife trade in Europe is a

billion-euro business, according to Europol