In China’s Shandong province, a dog assumed the role of caregiver for four cubs abandoned by tigresses.
The staff at Xixiakou Nature Park decided to provide food for the animals left without nourishment by introducing them to a dog residing in the reserve, who had recently whelped. The dog graciously adopted the orphaned animals, allowing them to nurse alongside her own two puppies.
Two golden tiger cubs and two white tiger cubs faced the risk of starvation as two five-year-old tigresses, who gave birth in June, declined to care for their offspring.
It is emphasized that golden tigers are a vulnerable species and are exceptionally rare in the wild.
White tigers are rare as well, but due to a different cause: their distinctive coloration, characterized by black-brown stripes on white fur and blue eyes, results from a congenital mutation. The occurrence of this mutation is estimated to be one in 10,000 individuals with typical coloration.
