Six daredevil firefighters race to rescue big cat stuck on hotel roof ... only to discover it's an 8ft stuffed toy

By DANIEL BATES

Top cat: The Houston Fire Department received several calls Wednesday about a tiger on the roof of an abandoned hotel, though it turned out to be a stuffed toy

When the calls came in saying an escaped tiger was on the loose, everyone knew it was serious.
Dozens of people dialled 911 after seeing the eight-foot long animal perched on top of an abandoned hotel, apparently pausing in the middle of its hunt.
But when fire-fighters went in for a closer look, they discovered that it was actually rather more tame - because it was a life-sized stuffed toy.

Cat on a hot tin roof: The tiger was on the roof of an abandoned hotel in Houston, Texas

Rather than snarling and leaping at them, the vicious predator merely fell from its ledge to the floor with a gentle tug.
At least one fire truck and six firemen were involved in the ‘rescue’ in Houston, Texas, including two men on a cherry picker who were sent up to try and talk the tiger down. A video posted on YouTube shows them carefully inching towards the beast, which had one paw dangling over the side and its head tilted so it appeared to have just been startled.
When they realised it posed no threat, they then pulled it off with a large hooked stick so it fell to the floor where their colleagues picked it up and held it by the neck as if it were a trophy.
One fire-fighter even played with it as if he was being attacked.

Dramatic rescue: Two men on a cherry-picker helped 'rescue' the tiger

It isn't real? A Houston firefighter looks confused as he realises the tiger belongs at a toy store, not a zoo

Perks of the job: Onlooking fire-fighters record the rescue on their phones. They had to remove the big cat because it posed a risk to drivers, who would rubberneck when they saw a tiger on the roof

It is not clear how the tiger ended up on the ledge of the abandoned hotel, but fire crews said it had to be removed as drivers were slowing down to look at it, potentially causing an accident.
Real life animal escapes are rare - but deadly when they happen.
Last year dozens of pack animals were shot dead after their owner opened their cages before killing himself in Zanesville, Ohio.

I've got him: A fire-fighter looks amused as he holds the toy tiger after his co-worker knocked it from the roof

Job well done: The firefighters take the tiger away after one pretended to be attacked by the creature

Tigers, wolves, mountain lions, cheetahs and bears up to 300lbs in size were all hunted down by police as they roamed the rural town.
Some of the animals were thought to have eaten each other as families stayed in their homes for fear of being attacked.
Real life tigers are among the most deadly predators on Earth and can grow to 11ft long and weigh 700lbs.
In 2007 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. was killed and two others injured when two 350lbs Siberian tigers escaped their cage at San Francisco zoo and rampaged through the crowd.

Real animals on the loose: Police killed dozens of animals, including this lion, last October after they escaped from the wild-animal preserve in Ohio



source: dailymail

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Saving the eye of the tiger: Battle to prevent rare white big cat from going blind

By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON



Vet Rob Lowe led a team of vets in trying to restore Zena's sight after she developed a cataract



This vet is used to restoring the sight of dogs and horses, but never has he worked on a tiger before.

Roger Lowe was enlisted by the Isle of Wight Zoo, in Sandown, to remove a cataract from the one remaining eye of Zena, a rare white tiger.

The 15-year-old big cat, who is a star attraction at the zoo, lost her right eye to glaucoma six years ago and faced total blindness and a life of finding her way round with just her senses of smell and sound.



Charlotte Corney, who hand-raised Zena, said she is glad to see the recovery the rare tiger is making



On Monday, however, she went under the surgeon's knife and is back to her usual self with 'tomboyish tendencies'.

People visiting the her will be able to see her splashing around in puddles or showing off for the crowds that go to visit her.



Back with her sister, Zia (right), the tiger is one of the star attractions at the Isle of Wight zoo



Zoo owner Charlotte Corney said: 'I'm over the moon, couldn't be happier.'

Zena's profile on the Isle of Wight zoo website says she lives with her sister, Zia, who has a totally different character.

'Unlike her older sister Zia, Zena doesn't seem to understand the meaning of vanity,' it says. 'Zena has a real zest for life, which is evident from watching her humorous antics.

'Among other things, she has perfected the art of bouncing along on her hind legs while trying to 'bite the jet of water from a hosepipe.'



source: dailymail

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Aalborg Zoo will soon begin construction of new enclosure for the tigers and lions

Aalborg Zoo will soon begin construction of new enclosure for the tigers and lions, due to lack of space. Aalborg, Denmark. 30th September 2011



Aalborg Zoo will soon begin construction of new enclosure for the tigers and lions, due to lack of space. Aalborg, Denmark. 30th September 2011



Aalborg Zoo will soon begin construction of new enclosure for the tigers and lions, due to lack of space. Aalborg, Denmark. 30th September 2011


Aalborg Zoo will soon begin construction of new enclosure for the tigers and lions, due to lack of space. Aalborg, Denmark. 30th September 2011



Aalborg Zoo will soon begin construction of new enclosure for the tigers and lions, due to lack of space. Aalborg, Denmark. 30th September 2011

source: daylife
photo: Reuters pictures

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A new born quadruplet of Indochinese Tigers, look out of a box during their first presentation for public at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin.

A new born quadruplet of Indochinese Tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti) , also known as Corbett's tigers look out of a box during their first presentation for public at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. The quadruplet was born on Sept. 10.



Zookeeper Petra Schroeder holds tiger cub Mandalay, one of a new born quadruplet of Indochinese Tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti), also known as Corbett's tiger, during their first presentation for public at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. The quadruplet was born on Sept. 10.



Zookeeper Petra Schroeder holds tiger cub Mandalay, one of a new born quadruplet of Indochinese Tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti), also known as Corbett's tiger, during their first presentation for public at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. The quadruplet was born on Sept. 10.



A new born quadruplet of Indochinese Tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti) , also known as Corbett's tigers look out of a box during their first presentation for public at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. The quadruplet was born on Sept. 10.

source: daylife
photo: AP photo

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I'm big enough to clean my own face, mum! Rare baby Amur tiger looks less than impressed by his mother's attentions

By SARA NELSON

Oh mum! Iris gives one of her triplets a loving lick - but he looks less than impressed

This seven-week-old tiger cub looks less than impressed as his mother gives him a hearty lick during his first foray into the open air at a Russian zoo.

The cub is one of three born to female Amur tiger Iris and her mate Kedr, who have already have seven babies.

The latest litter was born at the Royev Ruchey zoo in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk on August 5 and the trio have been named Kaktus, Jasmin and Narciss.


I'll get you back! The tiny cub play fights with his mother as the family makes it's first public appearance at Royev Ruchey zoo in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk

Siberian tigers are one of the world's rarest species with only 300 thought to be left in the wild, most of which are in Russia's Far East.

The world's largest cat was once a familiar sight across northern China, the Korean peninsula and eastern Russia.

But loss of habitat and poaching almost wiped out the cats during the early 20th century with only 20-30 individuals surviving in the wild by the 1940s.


Watch me go: The trio were born on August 5 and are named Kaktus, Jasmin and Narciss


Fierce! One of the seven-week-old cubs tries out his fighting face

source: dailymail

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Get off my patch! How two tigers left with their tails between their legs after being scared off by a protective mother bear

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Having a bad bear day: A tiger comes face to face with one angry mother bear on the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, India


It's not often that two ferocious tigers have to beat a hasty retreat from a confrontation.

But it seems that the wrath of a mother bear protecting two cubs on her back was more than enough to scare this pair off.

Wildlife photographer Aditya Singh captured the encounter during a visit to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, India.


Wild thing: The bear raises on its hind legs to scare off one of two tigers that tried to attack at a watering hole in a nature reserve


At first, one tiger crept towards the bear which was drinking from a watering hole and looked ready to pounce.

Just in the nick of time, the bear spotted the big cat and immediately went on the defensive, bounding towards it.

Another tiger then leapt towards the mother bear - but quickly scampered off after she let out an almighty roar.

Mr Singh, 45, who lives on the outskirts of the reserve and visits daily, said he was stunned as he watched the battle unfold.

He said: 'The mother bear was coming from a waterhole and heading across the plateau completely unaware of the tigers.


Earn your stripes: The tiger backs down as the mother bear goes on the defensive


'The tigress saw them first and instantly she started stalking towards the bear.

'Bears and tigers are two large powerful animals which normally try to avoid each other. But the bear had her cubs with her and so she felt threatened. That's why she charged towards the tiger.

source: dailymail

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Easy, tiger! Incredible moment huge animal is released back into the wild after being rescued from a poacher's snare

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Roaring to go: Victor lets out a growl as he is finally released back into the wild


This is the incredible moment an angry and fearsome tiger makes a bid for freedom - after being rescued from a poacher's snare.

The hulking beast, named Victor, was nursed back to health by experts for a week after being caught in a brutal snare set by ruthless hunters.

The nine-year-old Amur tiger, who was spotted by students in a remote Russian forest who heard him roaring in pain after being trapped in a cable snare.

The bleeding beast, who would have been worth up to $10,000 on the black market for its bones and skin alone, was finally released to safety in the frozen wastes of eastern Russia after being treated for cuts to his skin.


Freedom: The Amur tiger bursts from his cage and leaps through the snow


The dramatic moment where he burst out of his cage was caught on camera for BBC Wildlife Magazine and shows the powerful animal leaping through the snow to freedom as the team of conservationists stood well back.

One of them John Goodrich, 45, who has spent 16 years working with the tigers in Russia, said: 'We chose a place with enough open space so that we could sit in our vehicles and watch as Victor left his cage to freedom.

'We had cameras ready as my colleague raised the door to the cage.

'Victor glared at us and roared, making a great cloud of steam in the cold air. But he stayed put.

'Then, letting out another roar, he turned toward us again and burst out of the cage. He hit the snow and, with one great leap, disappeared into the forest.

'The power and speed with which he leapt from the truck and disappeared into the forest was awesome and would have been terrifying had I not been sitting in the safety of my vehicle.'

When Victor was found, the kindhearted students drove 50 miles to the nearest telephone to raise the alarm, and alerted the Inspection Tiger Department to their find.


source: dailymail

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The cat that's NOT afraid of the water: Meet the Siberian tiger who'll risk getting wet for food

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Fangs out: The tiger pounced after a hunk of meat was thrown towards him


It's a fearsome sight - enough to send a shudder down the spine of even the most foolhardy photographer.

And this incredible photo of a 400lb Siberian tiger leaping out of a river shows the bigger beasts of the feline world are certainly not scaredy cats when it comes to food.

Finnish photographer Arno Enzerink captured the magnificent moment during a wildlife close-up workshop at a U.S. game reserve in Kalispell, Montana.


Terrifying: The Siberian tiger captured as he leaps out of the water


At first glance it seems as if the tiger is worried about the water or has had a nasty surprise from something lurking beneath.


Shake down: The tiger dries himself off after his exploits


But Arno admitted that in fact the giant pounce, which saw the tiger standing almost 9ft tall, came as it leapt into the air to catch a piece of meat.

The 37-year-old said: 'The tiger just leapt out of the water to catch a piece of meat the caretaker threw up in the air.

'We were told it might happen but to actually see it leap out of the water is a whole different thing.

'And the real surprise, to me at least, was the size of the animal when rearing up like that.

'You don't really realise the size of it when you see it prancing around on all fours.'



Snapper: Arno Enzerink captured the magnificent moment a Siberian tiger jumped 9ft tall into the air


source :dailymail

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Hey, get off my tail! The amazing moment a monk grabs a tiger cub as he tries to escape

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Get off! The cute cub charged around the yard of the monastery as the monk tried in vain to bring him under control


This is the amazing moment a monk bravely grabs a tiger cub by its tail as it attempts to escape.

Some might say he is brave, others might call his actions foolish - but he gets away with it as he is actually best friends with the tiger cub and its doting mum.

Amateur photographer Hendro Hioe was travelling through the Kanchanaburi province of Thailand - 84 miles from Bangkok - when he heard from locals that a monk had befriended a tiger family.


Best mates: Another spectacular image shows the monk proudly sitting on top of the mother's back as she sits, rather unimpressed, next to a tree


Realising this was a photo opportunity not to be missed, the Indonesian snapper quickly grabbed his camera and took a detour through the arid rural landscape to capture the pair.

But once he got there things were far from plain sailing - as the tiger refused to stay still for a picture.

Playfully, the cute cub charged around the yard of the monastery as the monk tried in vain to bring him under control.


Hanging out: The monk feeds and showers the cubs just like they were his children


Hendro, from Jakarta, Indonesia, said: 'When I heard about the monk and tiger I knew I had to get a shot of them together. They are an odd friendship.

'But the playful tiger didn't like sitting still.' In one stunning image, the monk - draped in an orange robe - cheekily reaches out as the tiger speeds past him.

Amazingly he grabs the cubs wagging tail - making it turn and growl ferociously.


Family affair: Hendro Hioe was travelling through Thailand when he heard from locals that a monk had befriended a tiger family


And in a desperate bid to keep the hyperactive cub still, the monk decides to crouch over and hug it.

Another spectacular image shows the monk proudly sitting on top of the mother's back as she sits, rather unimpressed, next to a tree.

Hendro, who first began taking pictures in 1996 when his father bought him a camera, added: 'After he grabbed its tail the tiger turned back and tried to bite the monk.
'Luckily it realised he was the man who takes care of him - otherwise he might have injured him.

'The monk then hugged the little cub to stop him running off. But his bigger mum heard his playful yelps and came over to see what was happening.


Bonding: In a bid to keep the hyperactive cub still, the monk decides to crouch over and hug it


'But she just stood and watched as I took my pictures.' Hendro added: 'The monk feeds and showers the cubs just like they were his children.'

Thankfully after three or four minutes of the tiger refusing to pose for his big moment, Hendro, a CEO of a design company, got the shot he had trekked over 30 minutes for.

The 32-year-old said: 'I can say it was a surprise to see the monk grab the tiger's tail. Only a brave man would do something like that even if he is friends with it.
'But I love the moment, it is the perfect picture.'


source: dailymail

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The dive of the tiger: Big cat makes a splash in animal park waterfall

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Scoping the area: The tiger is seen carefully treading close to the edge of the waterfall


In the searing heat, this tiger was looking for a novel way to cool off as it endured the rising temperature.

The graceful but deadly cat first surveys the drop below before using her huge paws to launched herself into the water.

However, this is no tropical waterfall in the depths of the Indian jungle. Sayan is an endangered Amur Siberian Tiger and is a new arrival at Yorkshire Wildlife Park - and staff say she is proving to be quite the water baby in the heat.


Down we go: The Siberian tiger leaps over the top and jumps into the water


The three-year-old big cat is one of the attractions at the Doncaster wildlife park's reserve, Land Of The Tiger.

When the temperatures rose to 25 degrees, Sayan decided to take an impromptu dip.

But the pool at the top of the waterfall wasn't enough to properly cool her down so - to the delight of visitors - she dived down the four-metre waterfall into the lagoon below.

These pictures were captured by David Clarry, who was visiting with his family when Sayan took her waterfall leap.

The Amur tiger is the largest big cat in the world and is the largest and heaviest sub-species of tiger, with males weighing in at up to 700 pounds.


Falling: Paws outstretched, the tiger looks surprisingly calm as it drops through the water


Threatened by habitat loss and poachers, this tiger is critically endangered with fewer than 400 animals thought still to survive in the wild.

A dense coat and a thick layer of fat below their skin enables them to withstand the bitter cold temperatures of Russian winters. And the Amur tiger also has huge paws that help them move efficiently in deep snow.

The tiger reserve at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which works to conserve the endangered species, boasts two pools and a waterfall for the water-loving tigers.


Splash landing: The tiger surfaces after her dramatic dive down the waterfall

The tigers' new home has been created at the park alongside a natural British Nature wetlands reserve.

Visitors can use a 150-metre walkway which boasts view of the endangered cats on one side and, on the other, the wetland habitat which is home to other birds and animals.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park works closely with biodiversity experts and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to protect and encourage biodiversity in the wetland habitat at the park.

source: dailymail

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Dog and the (big) cats who're best of friends: Abandoned cubs saved from starvation by stand-in mother

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Maternal instinct: These two rare liger cubs would have died were it not for the milk from this dog, who has become their adopted mother


Cats and dogs usually fight like the proverbial... cats and dogs.

But these touching pictures show that maternal instincts can conquer all prejudices.

These two rare cubs born to a male lion and a female tiger are being nursed by a dog after they were abandoned by their mother.


Cute: The two liger cubs are held up by a feeder


The cubs, known as ligers, were born earlier this month at Xixiakou Wildlife Zoo in Shandong province, eastern China.

Their parents mated naturally after living together for six years.

But their mother, a Manchurian tiger called Hua Hua, stopped feeding the cubs after a few days, and two died for want of nutrition.

Staff at the Zoo found the dog, who had just given birth, to feed the surviving pair.


Happy family: The cubs suck milk alongside their new siblings


Zoo spokesman Cong Wen said the cubs had a little trouble getting used to the dog's milk at first.

But now they've warmed to their adopted mother and happily drink next to their new brothers and sisters.

Ligers are rare and exist only in captivity because the habitats of the parental species do not overlap in the wild.


Single life: The cubs' mother, a Manchurian tiger called Hua Hua, abandoned them after a couple of days

source: dailymail

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A Bengali White Tiger cub is bottle-fed by zookeeper

A Bengali White Tiger cub is bottle-fed by zookeeper Jeannette Wurms at the Zoo Safari Park Stukenbrock April 19, 2011. Four Bengali White Tigers were born on Valentine's Day in the zoo near the western German city of Bielefeld.




One of four Bengali White Tiger cubs plays with a photographer's camera at the Zoo Safari Park Stukenbrock April 19, 2011. Four Bengali White Tigers were born two month ago on Valentine's Day in the zoo near the western German city of Bielefeld.




One of four Bengali White Tiger cubs climbs up a tree at the Zoo Safari Park Stukenbrock April 19, 2011. Four Bengali White Tigers were born on Valentine's Day in the zoo near the western German city of Bielefeld.




Four White Tiger cubs are hold by zoo keepers at the Safari-Park Stukenbrock in Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany, Tuesday, April 19, 2011. The rare cubs were born on Valentine's day in February.


Three Bengali White Tiger cubs play at the Zoo Safari Park Stukenbrock near Bielefeld April 19, 2011. Four Bengali White Tigers were born two month ago on Valentine's Day in the zoo near the western German city of Bielefeld.





source: daylife
photo: AP, Reuters

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