Corridor to Change
The tiger cub was born in Texas at a roadside zoo, where unlike AZA zoos, there are few standards for her care. She will never know that more tigers like her reside in the state of Texas, being kept as pets or in privately-owned commercial entertainment facilities, than live in the wild.
The tiger cub is now 8 weeks old. She and her siblings are taken from her mother’s side for “cub-petting” sessions with the public, so paying customers can bottle-feed and take photos with her in their laps. When she is just 12 weeks old, she will be too old for cub-petting sessions and will be sold to a private owner.
The tiger’s excited new family shares videos of their “pet” and posts them on social media, with friends and strangers commenting on how cute she is and that they want a tiger cub too. The tiger cub grows quickly, so when she is 8 months old, they build a small enclosure for her in the backyard.
Once she reaches a year and a half old, the family realizes they can no longer care for her anymore. She is in poor health. The family does not share this on social media the way they shared her cub photos. They surrender her to a sanctuary that is already over capacity with big cats from similar situations. She is very lucky to now get the care she needs. Her siblings may not have fared as well.
Turtle's Story
Turtles and tortoises are some of the most heavily trafficked animals.
There is a high demand in some countries for turtles as pets and for meat, shells, and other parts. In the U.S., the biggest market for turtles and tortoises is the pet trade. Other reptiles are also trafficked to be sold as pets or for their skins, leather and other products.
Read more about the Turtle’s story below.
The underbrush rattled with the sound of human footsteps on the day the turtle was taken from his home in the forest of Myanmar and put into a dark crate. He will be worth more to the people at the market if he is heavier, so he has been force-fed rocks.
The turtle has been shipped to a wildlife market to be sold for food. He is packed tightly in a crate with many other turtles. Conditions are so cramped and unhealthy that many of the others sharing his space will not survive. The top of his box opens to loud voices as people try to determine his value. Some of the other turtles are taken away.
The turtle has traveled through markets around China. Some of the others in his crowded crate have already died. Unless he is found by people who want to stop the wildlife trade, his future is uncertain. Because people have created such a high demand for him and others like him, his species may soon be extinct. He has cousins here in Georgia who are now endangered too, as a result of the worldwide turtle trade.