Athens Zoo fights to save tiger cub found in trash

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Greek veterinarians are fighting to save a white tiger cub that was thrown into a trash can near the Athens Zoo and is believed to have fallen victim to the illegal wildlife trade.

The three-month-old white tiger was found on February 28 under a garbage can in the parking lot of the Zoological Park of Attica by a cleaner who notified the zoo owner.

“This is the first time such an animal has been thrown out near our zoo. I mean, we've had a few cases of pets being tossed, but it's usually abandoned pets — puppies, kittens, turtles & hellip; but tiger? Never", — Zoo founder Jean-Jacques Lesière said.

The zoo's CCTV cameras caught a car driving up to the garbage cans around midnight. According to Lesière, authorities were trying to trace the license plates.

The emaciated and the dehydrated animal is in serious condition.

“When I first saw the cub, I could not believe what I was seeing in front of me, I honestly could not believe that the animal was in such a state. It is likely that she was not properly fed and the baby is severely lacking in vitamins and minerals, which makes her bones extremely fragile, & quot;, — zoo veterinarian Noah Psarudaki said.

The x-ray also showed a metal pin stuck in one of the cub's hind legs.

Lesière said if the tiger cub survived, it would have to be transferred to the reserve, as there are no other animals of this species in the zoo. According to him, the zoo has already asked for help from international organizations for the protection of wildlife and animals.

According to Europol, the trade in wild animals in Europe &mdash ; this is a business worth billions of euros, and Asia and Africa — common sources of exotic animals that are sold to European buyers. Usually they enter Greece from Turkey or Cyprus, but Greece has become a gateway to the rest of Europe.

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