19. The Wooden Crate
It was spring when employees at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport handled an unmarked wooden crate which appeared to be sent to Syria but had no sender listed. Because of the weird missing names, airport employees looked inside the holes of the crate.
18. They Were Stunned
As one of the employees peered through the holes of the box, he turned back to his colleagues, jaw-opened. It was filled with three Siberian tiger cubs that were so weak they couldn’t even make a noise. They have been inside that crate for all those days!
17. Unbelievable!
It was a horrible sight! The tiger cubs were crammed in a 42 cm high crate, and the babies were almost 60 cm tall, which meant they couldn’t stand on their feet. The box was filled with their feces, it had no water or food. Everyone wondered how they survived until then…
16. Starving Cubs
The poor cubs were starving, dehydrated and maggots filled the inside of the small crate and the animals… The finding reached the ears of the animal welfare organization Animals Lebanon. Lana el-Khalil, the president of the organization and other colleagues, rushed to the scene.
15. Left for Dead
“It is completely unacceptable that these animals have been trapped for seven days in a cage which is soaked in feces and urine, too small for them to stand, and infested with maggots,” said Lana el-Khalil.
The poor cubs were left for dead there if not for the organization. But soon, they would face many problems…
14. No Details on The Receiver
Nothing was written on the crate to notify the carrier that the box contained live animals, and nobody knew who the shipper or the receiver was, and el-Khalil said that they stopped the shipment through the “combined efforts of the ministry of agriculture, customs, and a judge.”
They then found out the truth about the cubs!
13. From One Zoo to Another
Unfortunately for the poor animals, customs allowed shipping of exotic and wild animal, so the cubs were sent from the Nikolaev Zoo in Ukraine to the Samer al-Husainawi Zoo in Damascus, Syria. However, the delay in Beirut and discovery meant a new chance for these cubs…
12. Permission to Open the Box
Animals Lebanon (AL) finally got permission to open the box and take the cubs to their vets. Stunned to see the tigers, Jason Mier, the AL Executive Director said that the poor cubs were filled with maggots and their paws were red from standing so much in their urine. But they were now safe, and a few months later, AL had terrific news!
11. Examining the Cubs
The veterinarian examined the cubs, vaccinated them and found that only one tiger was microchipped, although documents said that all three should have been microchipped. It just meant one thing: someone illegally bought them, and it proved to be true. The owner wanted them back!
10. Not Losing His Money
The veterinarian examined the cubs, vaccinated them and found that only one tiger was microchipped, although documents said that all three should have been microchipped. It just meant one thing: someone illegally bought them, and it proved to be true. The owner wanted them back!
9. Animal Trafficking
“This was the most clear-cut case of straightforward trafficking but the most difficult to do anything about,” said Mier, adding that the owner of the cubs harassed employees of the NGO, threatening them. Ultimately, AL had to get escorted by the police when retrieving the cubs!
8. Salvation Arrived
AL won the cubs because the conditions of the trade of Endangered Species were not met, and through all the bureaucracy, AL finally won the cubs. “The Ministry of Agriculture, Judge of Urgent Matters and Customs have all made the right decisions,” AL wrote on social media.
But what next?
7. Finding a New Home
During the legal battle for the ownership, the cubs were getting better day by day. They were less terrified by humans and began playing, like all cubs would do when they feel safe. The furry trio was named May, Antoun, and Tanya…
6. Four Months Later
After four months, AL won the cubs who were now bigger and in perfect health! It was time for AL to find them a real home, so the authorities allowed them to move the tigers safely to France. On a Monday evening, three large crates were prepared.
5. A Special Cargo
Antoun, May, and Tanya each slept in their boxes that had their name tags and tiger stripes. The boxes were flown by a passenger plane as a special cargo and arrived a few hours later in Tonga Terre D’accueil sanctuary near Lyon. Meanwhile, Mier was wide awake…
4. Finally Safe and Happy
“I could sleep after the plane got off the ground — that’s the end of it. Now, they can finally enjoy their lives,” Mier said in an interview. Finally, the tigers could enjoy a free life without suffering from animal trafficking.
3. They Remember Them!
Not long ago, Mier and his colleagues at AL went to visit Antoun, May, and Tanya who recognized them on the spot and started chuffing and licking them through the fence of their huge enclosure. The three tigers look amazing!
2. Animal Welfare Organizations
It’s our duty as humans to respect and support animal welfare organizations, even if it’s through volunteering or offering help whenever they need us. They fight for animals’ rights to a normal life…
1. Always Contact Authorities
When you see an animal in pain, contact local animal welfare organizations or the authorities so that they come and help that animal, be it wild or domestic. They all deserve to live a good life!
