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An unusual white knight came to the rescue for a group of tiger cubs in need of a mother. According to the Digital Journal, a white Swiss Shepherd dog is helping to raise three newborn tiger cubs after the animals' real mom refused to feed them.
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Mother tiger Bagheera gave birth to two males and one female at Oktyabrsky Zoo in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, but showed little interest in feeding her babies. Luckily, Tally the Swiss Shepherd was ready to step in.
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Tally was already producing milk for her upcoming litter of pups and was happy to share the nutritional stuff with the baby tigers.
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Zookeepers are keeping Tally on a high protein diet to ensure she produces enough healthy milk for the tiger cubs, as well as her own babies. The tigers are also being bottle-fed goat's milk.
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The female tiger cub has been named Tally in honor of her unexpected adoptive mother, while the other two tigers will have their names chosen through a contest.
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Keepers say this isn't the first time Bagheera the tiger has ditched her mothering duties. Her last two cubs were raised by a Shar-pei, after the mother refused to feed them, too.
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Even though she has seen dogs nurse wild animals before, zoo spokesperson Victoria Kudlaeva was surprised how quickly Tally took up the role of mom.
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Next: Amazing Animal Foster Families
However shocking this quartet may seem, it is obvious it is one full of love.
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22 Comments
God bless that mom, Tally.
January 22 2013 at 3:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWhy can't we all just get along?
December 01 2012 at 7:58 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyI think that is so sweet that complete opposites can be so caring. Too bad people can't be the same.
November 27 2012 at 10:30 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down ReplyAncient legends of the past long ago tell us that Romulus and Remus were suckled by a wolf and then they founded the historical city of Rome in Italy. Perhaps these tiger cubs should be named Romulus, Remus, and Romeo! What do yo think of this idea?
November 27 2012 at 8:02 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyMythical legends of the past say that Romulus and Remus were suckled by a wolf and then they founded the ancient city of Rome in Italy. I think these would be good names for the tiger cubs. Romulus, Remus, and Romeo! What do think of these for names?
November 27 2012 at 7:51 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWhen I had my 1st child I had decided to breast feed. The lady in the bed nest to me was also a breast feeder with her 4th child. She was having surgery the next day and did not like the idea of having to give her son a bottle for the day or two she would have the anesthesia in her system...so I fed my daughter and her son for two days. We are supposed to help when we can and this mommy dog felt the same way. God bless her.
November 27 2012 at 5:14 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replya tiger nursing from a dog gotta love that dog
November 27 2012 at 2:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplySome females just don't have the mothering instinct. Animal or human.
November 26 2012 at 10:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe darker side of the story is that the poor tiger mom is smart enough not to raise her tiger cubs in captivity. There should be no zoos. Wild animals should be in the wild not living lives in cages. Go on a safari to India to see tigers. Watch the discovery channel. These animals think and have feelings.
November 26 2012 at 10:04 PM Report abuse Permalink +3 rate up rate down ReplyI think you're missing out on the fact that some captivity shelters are humans attempting to help protect the species, not just to view them. The people taking care of them like this are the good ones, you shouldn't bash them like that. You think they'd survive longer in the wild, being killed off by bigger animals, being poached by cruel humans, and dying off from deforestation and not even having a natural habitat anymore? There's no reason to believe the mom didn't feed it because it was in captivity, wild animals do that often as well, refuse to feed their young, it's not because they're in captivity being more than well taken care of. The people taking care of the animals think and have feelings too, and they've dedicated their entire lives to helping wild animals, and to helping save species that are in some trouble due to other humans. So get off your ass and do some research before you go running your mouth like that. I as well intend to dedicate my life to helping and saving animals in every way I can, and not for anyone else's profit but the animal's, just like these people are. But you know what they say, ignorance is bliss.
November 27 2012 at 7:55 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down ReplyYes, let the cubs die becauise someone cared to save the species. YOU are the one with a dark side. smh.
November 27 2012 at 8:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDoes this prove animals have a souls, I think it does. Don't you too? After all, we all are mammals sharing this planet.(Except for reptiles, snakes, birds and pigeons)
November 26 2012 at 9:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply