Yesterday (5-16-2021) Bengal Tiger India, a 9 month of male raised totally in captivity in Houston, was surrendered to local Houston shelter BARC. Today, India's new live begins.
Early today staff from Black Beauty Ranch (in Murchison, Texas - not far from Tyler) met India at BARC and then transported him back to their sanctuary to learn to live like the wild animal he is.
Noelle Almrud, senior director of Black Beauty, says, "He is obviously used to being handled by humans, which is not normal for a tiger. But, as we found with Loki (a tiger who was found in an outside cage in Houston in 2019) and Elsa (who was surrendered to the ranch from bad treatment in Bexar County), they acclimate very quickly to being a wild tiger. We do not pet them, we do not go in with them, we have protected contact with them at all times because they are predators. However, they receive a lot of enrichment and a lot of activity to become wild animals which they are!"
Almrud says for those of you who have followed India's story for the last week, you'll be happy to know that BBR will be posting videos of his progress from time to time.
photo: GettyImages