Imagine the shock at Beirut’s airport when an unmarked wooden box, left unattended for a week, revealed its astonishing contents.
The box, a mere 16 inches tall with a few holes, seemed ordinary until security personnel decided to investigate.
What they found inside was nothing short of extraordinary.
Out tumbled three Siberian tiger cubs, an endangered species, in a pitiable state.
At four months old, these tiny creatures were soaked in their own urine and feces, barely clinging to life.
It’s a wonder they survived, cramped in a space so small they couldn’t even stand.
“Nothing indicated that the box contained tigers or even live animals, and there were no details of a shipper or receiver,” reported Animals Lebanon, the rescue group that later became involved.
The cubs were being transported from Ukraine’s Nikolaev Zoo to the Samer al-Husainawi Zoo in Damascus, Syria.
Due to improper labeling and paperwork issues, the shipment was delayed in Lebanon for seven days.
The condition of the cubs was heart-wrenching.
They were starving, dehydrated, and suffering from a severe insect infestation.
“Once we finally got them out of the box, the box had dozens and dozens of maggots crawling around in it.
There were maggots all over the back thighs of the animals,” recounted Jason Mier, executive director of Animals Lebanon, in an interview with ABC News.
Animals Lebanon didn’t hesitate to act.
They petitioned a judge for the cubs’ release into their care, and the judge, recognizing the urgency, agreed.
The cubs were then provided with a spacious area to roam and the medical attention they desperately needed.
Thankfully, the organization’s wildlife veterinarian managed to nurse the cubs back to health.
“Their paw pads were raw and red, as were their back legs and thighs,” Animals Lebanon described.
“They had not received the proper vaccinations so all three were vaccinated.”
“Only one tiger was found to have a microchip, though documents state that all three should have been microchipped.”
The intended destination of these tigers, a Syrian zoo, was shrouded in doubt.
The crate didn’t meet international standards, and essential documentation was missing.
This raised suspicions of illegal trafficking, a lucrative black market business.
“Big cats can be worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market. The owner is fighting to get them back,” Animals Lebanon noted. “And we are fighting for the tigers.”
Despite Animals Lebanon’s efforts, the judge eventually ruled to return the tigers to their owners in Ukraine.
This decision leaves us hoping for the best but fearing the worst, given the potential for these animals to end up on the black market.
Mier, in an interview with The Dodo, revealed a troubling pattern: “Since 2012 their mother has given birth to at least 12 cubs, including these three,” he said.
“The other nine were all sold to ‘private/undisclosed’ buyers.”
The sale of exotic animals, often with little oversight, is a harsh reality in many parts of the world.
The fate of these cubs remains uncertain, as they could easily fall into the hands of private owners, with no one to ensure their well-being.
Watch this amazing recovery in the video below!
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