In July 2018, Border Patrol Agent Marshall Maynard noticed three suspicious men while he was near Brownsville, Texas. The three men had just crossed the Rio Grande, and they held a black duffel bag. When the men saw Agent Maynard, they fled, leaving their duffel bag behind.
Maynard carefully approached the duffel bag. When he opened it, he was shocked to find a small tiger cub inside.
The tiger cub was about three to four months old, and he was in bad shape. He had a temperature of 107 degrees, and he was very lethargic. If he had been found even if 30 minutes later, he might not have survived.
The border patrol agents rushed the tiger over to Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville for treatment.
The tiger cub was a fighter, and thankfully, he survived. The vets at the zoo gave him plenty of food and water, and he soon came back to life.
The cub stayed at Gladys Porter Zoo for three months while he recovered from his ordeal. While the tiger cub was recovering, the zoo started looking for the right forever home for the little animal.
They decided to send him to In-Sync Exotics, an exotic animal sanctuary in Dallas. They knew he’d have plenty of space to run and play there, and he’d also have a playmate: a white tiger cub named Kylo Ren who’s about his age.
Once the cub was healthy enough, Gladys Porter Zoo transported him to In-Sync Exotics. There, he was given a ‘Star Wars’ inspired name to match his playmate’s: Kenobi!
“When Kylo Ren goes out to one of the big playgrounds each afternoon, Kenobi is moved into Kylo Ren’s run, to help them both get used to each other’s scent,” In-Sync Exotics wrote on Facebook. “When they are fed, we put Kenobi in a roll cage right up close to Kylo Ren (still with one fence between them), so they learn that being close to each other has pleasant associations.”
Kenobi is doing very well in his new home.
“Kenobi is adjusting well to his new environment,” In-Sync Exotics spokesperson Angela Culver told InsideEdition.com. “If all goes well, the two tiger cubs will move to their new permanent enclosure and playground in a couple of weeks.”
Kenobi and Kylo Ren are now having lots of supervised playdates, and both cubs are growing quickly. It’s amazing to see how big and strong they’re getting!
In-Sync Exotics also shared a great video of Kenobi playing on a tree trunk. When Kenobi arrived at In-Sync, he was afraid of climbing, but he’s gotten so much braver during his time at the sanctuary!
We may never know how Kenobi ended up in that duffel bag, but thankfully, he’s now in a good place where he has lots of friends and plenty of space. If you’d like to learn more about Kenobi, check out the video below.
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