In a California zoo, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and died shortly after birth.
The veterinarians believed that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. They decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother’s cubs, perhaps she would improve.
The veterinarians attempted something that had never been tried in a zoo environment before.
Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species.
The only “orphans” that could be found quickly were a litter of weaner pigs.
The zookeepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger.
