Jul 22, 2011

I Petted and Played With a Baby Tiger!

Cuteheads who follow on Facebook know that last week I got to pet and hang out with a baby tiger and I wanted to share some of the pictures with all of you!

This little baby tiger boy was named Juriani, and he and his sister were rejected by their mom. McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary here in South Florida was asked if they could care for these two striped sweeties -- and they have been bottle feeding them and raising them to be big and strong.

Last week was the last week they were allowing the babies to have outside human contact (so they could grow up to be real tigers), and I was lucky enough to be able to go visit!

Before anyone wonders: This is a very reputable place, all certified and approved by the Florida Wildlife Commission and everything else they need to be. They don't "own" exotic animals; they rehabilitate them and nurse them back to health as well as take in animals that are confiscated from people who have them illegally or in ill care. It was a very nice, clean, well-cared for place and you could really tell they cared for their animals.

Now, more of me and the baby tiger!

Me and Jiruani! I think he loved me.

I got to hold him! That's a water bottle in his mouth. He loved the crunching sound and it was like a toy to him.

Don't we look cute together?!

Juruani was just like a normal kitten... only bigger! He had tons of stuffed toys that he loved to chase and carry around -- and put in his water bowl (just like a lot of kitties do)!

He is almost three months old, they said, and doing great. His paws are the size of my hands! Petting him and meeting him was really one of the most fabulous things I've ever gotten to do.

(And don't worry, I would never do anything like this in a mall or truck stop. I'd never condone a place that used these animals to make a profit. This place really was nice.)

Next up on my wild animal list: I'm going to swim with manatees in a couple months!

21 comments:

  1. hmmm, I reckon I could take him... heh hehheh

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  2. Wow, what a wonderful experience!

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  3. What a privilege! - and you look so great together.

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  4. What a wonderful experience to have!!! You two look so happy and great!

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  5. How amazing....mom is jealous!!

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  6. I'm actually a little jealous. He is so gorgeous. What a terrific opportunity!

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  7. I bet you could, Rumbles! Or maybe you should let Hamlet at him...

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  8. What a great opportunity!  Our mommy is jealous too! 

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  9. That is awesome, thanks for sharing!!!! Happy Friday!!!

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  10. SOOOOOOO JEALOUS!!! <3 now that's the stuff!! WOOT!

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  11. Very cool. Just don't send him to visit me. I would be a snack for him

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  12. absolutely precious!!!! OF COURSE he loved you! What's not to love???

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  13. 3 months???  He's so big!  Looks more like a teenager, lol. 

    Great pics.  Wish I would have known about this.  I am in South Florida too.

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  14. Well, I'm sure you;d never do this with a bigger tiger too-- those hormones are going to come into play when he gets a little older and everything -fingers, hands, bodies, will be crunchable to him by then.

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  15. Wow!  Enjoy the manatees.  Momster has swum with sharks and sting rays but would love to swim with dolphins.  Life is for doing fun things (and helping others).

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  16. I would love to at least see the baby tiger in person.  How lucky you are to actually touch such a fabulous animal.

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  17. We did too- a white one at our County Fair a few years ago...

    I am popping all over the blogosphere today to say hello to as many of the BLOGPAWS participants as I can... 

    I wanted to say Hello and touch base with you
    before BLOGPAWS. Me- Carm and my Crazy Cat Man Randy will be there and
    I wanted to be sure to get to know each of the folks going a bit better before
    the BIG EVENT!

    Our Website: http://cclcarm.blogspot.com/ I have to admit
    that between my various interests online I don't always get to comment on blogs
    as much as I would like to... Or it just gets all redundant and meaningless...


    Our little bio is: We live in Buffalo, NY. Back
    in 1997 a black stray cat-Puffy came to us and made us her PURRsons. We fell
    head over heels in love with her and that next fall 1998 adopted 2 barn kittens
    littermate brothers- Sunny & Moony. The next spring 1999 there was a
    darling longhaired barnkitten Furby-same momcat as Sun & Moon. Before long
    I was online looking at cat breeds and feel in love with Maine Coons- Furby
    looks like one. I found a local breeder and adopted Candy-Fall 1999 who I just
    found out is the COVERGIRL on the new ICHC Wall Calendar, then Tommy-winter
    2000, then Joy- Fall 2000 who was our momcat- who had 4 kittens and our keeper
    is Pride born in late 2001. We are all senior cats now and Puffy and Sunny have
    already left us to be with all the cat gods and goddesses.

    I look forward to meeting you at BLOGPAWS! Please
    do keep in touch! XO CC & 6GR8CATS

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  18. That really was neat for you to be able to do that. Those big paws would have made me a little nervous not because they might be mean, but they might want to play with you. Great pictures. 

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  19. I'm so jealous :o)

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  20. That must have been an amazing experience! He's so cute!

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  21. Wow!  That had to be such a great experience!  Juriani is absolutely adorable!  He looks so cuddly!

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