It’s been a long wait for 2 rescued tigers, Softi and Toph, but finally the wait is over and their forever home at the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is just 24 hours away, with the much-anticipated arrival date confirmed for tomorrow (Friday).
Earlier this year the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown was preparing for the arrival of Softi and Toph, which was expected to be around February half term. However, despite the best efforts of the team and all the partners involved, a logistical issue meant that the transfer could not be completed. So, the process had to begin all over again.
Born in captivity in Italy, Softi and Toph, together with 8 other tigers, were discovered en-route to Russia where they were intercepted at the Belarussian border by officials and ultimately confiscated by the Poznan Zoo. They were found in horrific conditions in tiny cages where they couldn’t stand or turn around, starving hungry, dehydrated, and covered in their own faeces.
The conditions were so poor that 1 tiger had sadly succumbed and was found deceased in her cage. These tigers had already endured these conditions for 6 days, over about 2,000 kilometres, with no clear idea on where they were destined for and how much longer they would have had to survive these conditions.
David van Gennep, Director of partner rescue organisation AAP (Animal Advocacy and Protection), who was sent to rescue the tigers at the border, was convinced that none of these tigers would have survived the journey, had they not been found when they did.
Softi and Toph will be heading to the Isle of Wight via the Wightlink ferry tomorrow morning (Friday), arriving in Sandown around midday.
Lawrence Bates, COO at the Sanctuary, has said:
“We are extremely excited and privileged to be able to welcome Softi and Toph into the Wildheart family.
“Scars from trauma such as those faced by these tigers take a long time to heal and the rehabilitative work the teams do here will be essential in ensuring they not only recover but thrive here at the sanctuary.
“Unfortunately, there are still many more animals being exploited around the globe and Softi and Toph will help to shine a spotlight on such practices so we can all work together to stop this”.
Sandown Animal Prison’s new residents. Would be better keeeping them in the actual prison in Newport so they could “play” with the inmates.
Grow up.
These tigers have been in captivity all of their lives and kept in far worse conditions than Wildheart will give them.
They cannot be released into the wild, or even into a safari park.
If they don’t go somewhere like Wildheart the only other option is to euthanise them.
Now they will get to live the rest of their lives in peace and be well cared for.
Grow up yourself Wonky. Zoos belong in the past. No life for any animal. They would be better off dead.
What a nasty thing to say.
Feed them to you , you pond life
Do you really mean feed the animal to him? Interesting wild menu
Alan I agree.
Of all the places to bring them the freezing cold, windswept concrete fort on Sandown sea front is dire.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire imo.
Some painted on fake jungle background may ‘fool’ the gawping crowds, but the climate, the smells, the ambiance of the UK is NOTHING like what these creatures are used to.
A sad, depressing, slow death of misery for these beautiful creatures.
People on here are too dim to ‘understand’, and hear and see ONLY what they want, and a visit for a few minutes once on a warm day, does not mean they see the pain, the misery and sadness in the ‘eye of the Tiger’ nor do they want to ‘hear’ the truth.
A miserable longer life is no life.
I completely agree, feed the sex offenders to the tigers,
Although these tigers are coming from a terrible place, the last visit to the Wildheart sanctuary was pretty grim, and I couldn’t hang about. I’m sure there are other places with better enclosures where the tigers would have more space and a better quality of life.
You ever been ?
Yes I’ve been or how could I comment. They deserve better!!
Woburn Safari Park , near Dunstable Dawn’s in Bedfordshire. Would be the perfect place for them.