Tiger cub found in dog crate brushes up on his manners and finds new home in Colorado
A tiger cub found in a dog crate is headed to a new home in Colorado after working on his manners, a New Mexico park said.
Duke, who is estimated to be about 4 months old, was taken to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, ABQ BioPark said in a news release.
He was found after Albuquerque police responded to reports of gunfire on Jan. 10 and followed a trail of blood into an unlocked mobile home, McClatchy News previously reported.
Shortly after, Duke was brought to ABQ BioPark for care until he could find a new home, the park said.
“During his monthlong stay at the BioPark, Duke received a healthy diet of meat to support his growth and development,” according to the park
In that time, he gained more than 5 pounds and “can no longer fit in the carrier that brought him to the BioPark,” the park said.
The park’s staff spent hours with Duke daily, focusing on “socialization and training,” the park said.
“Duke has perfected some of his tiger manners, which will prepare him to socialize with other tigers at his new home,” the park said.
Though Duke is a bit small for his estimated age, his new home assures he will receive proper care, according to a Feb. 15 Facebook post from The Wild Animal Sanctuary.
“Duke will now be able to grow more normally with proper nutrition and lots of love and doting attention from sanctuary staff,” the post said.
Duke will eventually be able to live with the “other juvenile tigers” and “spend the rest of his life living in a large natural habitat,” according to the sanctuary.
Keenesburg is about 50 miles northeast of Boulder.
This story was originally published February 17, 2023 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Tiger cub found in dog crate brushes up on his manners and finds new home in Colorado."
