Story of Abandoned Leopard Shows These Animals are Meant to be Wild – Not Pets

Maybe you have, at one time or another, looked at a picture of a beautiful wild cat and thought, wouldn’t it be incredible to own such an incredible animals? But – hopefully – you never considered something like that seriously. Wild cats are not the same as domestic cats that take on the role of our little friends so well. It seems obvious, but for many people, it, unfortunately, isn’t so.

Tigger, is a gorgeous female leopard who sadly experienced life as a pet. Thankfully, she was recently rescued by Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand’s (WFFT) Wildlife Rescue Centre and the team is working on  releasing her back into the wild.

Tigger is just six months old. What was her past? She was purchased from the Internet and kept as a pet in a high rise apartment in the center of Bangkok…

She was likely taken away from her mother as a tiny kitten – for no other reason than to be sold into the illegal pet trade. There is a possibility that she was poached from her natural home.

Tigger was being treated like any domestic cat by her “owner” and even lived with two pet cats.

But as she grew up, she became less and less like a domestic cat. She didn’t like receiving affection from people that much and even became more aggressive, especially towards the cats she was living with.

Luckily, her “owner” realized that keeping her as a pet was not a good idea after all and decided to contact the rescue. Tigger is now living at the WFFT center and working towards a return to her natural home.

This cat is now safe and, hopefully, she will make a fast recovery from her experiences so as to be ready to begin her new life very soon. However, cases like Tigger are far too common as leopards are falling prey to poachers who hunt them for fur, skin, and to sell them as pets.

Click here to visit the Wildlife Friends Foundation’s website and learn more about what you can do to Support this wonderful organization.

Image source: Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand/Facebook