Ary Borges did the unthinkable back in 2005, when he took two tigers into his home.
Ary believed he was doing the tigers a proper favor by saving them from their horrible lives as part of a traveling circus. He brought the two tiger brothers, Dan and Tom, to live in his home in Maringa, Brazil, that he shared with his wife and three daughters.
Ary had never raised large, exotic cats before— but he was willing to learn how to care for them and give them the quality of life they deserve. He prepared the family home by building a secure, outdoor enclosure which gave the new pets space to through free.
Even though there was plenty of room outdoors, the tigers still got free reign of the house!
“I was never worried about my daughters coexisting with these animals,” Ary said.
Soon enough, Dan and Tom the tigers were sharing meals in the Borges family home, and sleeping on the floor like regular, domestic house cats!
Ary’s daughters were a bit apprehensive at the beginning, but after seeing the gentle temperament of the rescued animals, they quickly became best friends.
“At first we were scared of them, but as tie went one, we saw them every day, gave them baths and water, and we started to fall in love with them,” Ary’s daughter Uyara told The Daily Mail UK.
“We never thought we could live with such ferocious animals.”
The family decided to breed Dan and Tom, which gave them 5 more tigers to care for. Yet even with 7 tigers and other pets (including two lions and a monkey), the family still had tons of love to give!
The tiger cubs often slept with the daughters in their beds, as regular house kitties do. They were truly part of the family!
When Ary’s daughter Uyara had a child of her own, the baby was raised in the same fashion, with Uyara even allowing her young daughter to sit atop the giant tigers’ backs.
“They’re everything to us; they’re my brothers,” Uyara said.
“We’ve lived with them day and night for eight years.”
Another of Ary’s daughters, Nayara developed a strong bond with one of the tigers, in particular. When Tom had been gaining a bit of extra weight, Nayara took to the pool with him for some exercise.
Swimming together became a regular hobby for the pair, and both of them love this special bonding time. “Today, he rarely gets into the pool without me. He associated the pool with me,” she said.
Although Ary had only the best of intentions in wanting to give these tigers a home, government officials did not think it was a wise decision.
Ary, of course, made sure to acquire all of the necessary permits to keep the beloved tigers in his home— but wildlife officials still argued that the tigers pose a danger to the neighborhood as a whole. In addition, the family was also accused of breeding tigers without proper licensing and were ordered to have all of the tigers fixed in order to prevent any other cubs from being born.
Amidst the controversy, the family stood firmly behind their beliefs. And thankfully, in the end, everything seemed to blow over. The Borgeses believe the tigers are family, after all— and family always worth fighting for!
Ary said, “We believe the work we’re doing to help the animals is a noble cause.”
Hear their story below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
