Saturday, July 18, 1998
After more than month stuck in a cramped circus trailer, four abandoned Bengal tigers are adjusting to their new Texas home.
The abandoned cats, once with a now-defunct Spanish circus, were seized from a ship near Brownsville, Texas. The shippers had been trying to sell the endangered animals.
Friday morning, they arrived at a big-cat sanctuary operated by the Texas Exotic Feline Foundation (TEFF) near Forth Worth, Texas.
The animals sniffed every inch of their new home, then promptly flopped down for a good roll in the grass, TEFF Director Richard Gilbreth said.
They are now being held in a 1,000-square-foot sanctuary with shade trees and a cooling system. The center also has a veterinary clinic where operators plan to treat the animals, which were in poor health when seized from the ship, TEFF officials said.
Mr. Gilbreth plans to raise $100,000 to build the Bengal tigers a larger, permanent habitat. Donations have been pouring in from across the nation. TEFF officials think the entire $100,000 needed for the habitat will be raised by the end of next week.
