ALPINE, Calif. (CNS) - A neglected five-month-old white tiger cub seized from a Louisiana location is being rehabilitated at Lions Tigers & Bears Big Cat and Exotic Animal Sanctuary, the Alpine nonprofit announced Tuesday.
The unnamed female cub arrived at the sanctuary on Dec. 22. She required immediate medical attention for "conditions consistent with severe neglect," the sanctuary said.
"The exotic pet trade is a multi-billion-dollar industry, often leading to illegal ownership like in this case. Many of these animals are pulled from their mothers when they are only days old," said Bobbi Brink, founder and director of Lions Tigers & Bears.
"They are then subjected to very poor living conditions at the hands of individuals who quickly become overwhelmed by the level of care a full-grown wild animal requires. This in turn poses a very real threat to public health and safety."
The cub will live the rest of her life at the Alpine facility.
Lions Tigers & Bears also helped rescue three black bears from Alabama and two bears from North Carolina. Those bears were taken to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.
