A mother’s love comes in all shapes and sizes. So when a litter of tiger cubs at the Louisville Zoo needed a foster mom after being rejected by their biological mother, zoo staff swung into action to save the young cubs… but not by raising the litter themselves!
That’s where Rosemary the dog comes in. Rosemary is a mixed breed who recently had a pair of pups herself at the Jefferson County Animal Shelter. Zoo staff adopted her and introduced the potential new family in the hopes that Rosemary would take the pair of tiger cubs in as her own.
The zoo veterinarian explained that dogs usually recognize their young primarily through smell. To help aid in the integration process, zoo staff introduced the puppies and the tiger cubs, allowing the smell of the puppies to mix with that of the cubs.
Once the tiger cubs had been thoroughly covered in that “new puppy smell,” staff introduced them to the mother dog, who welcomed them with open paws.
She immediately laid down and allowed the tiger cubs to nurse, embracing them like she would her own pups.
The zoo veterinarian also explained that the tiger cubs will have a better chance at proper social development when raised in a canine family rather than by humans.
“Essentially, they’re going to have siblings to play with… Emotionally, they’ll be better off. Physically, they’ll be more developed and they’ll progress very nicely.” He stated in an interview with WLKY News Louisville.
A better upbringing for the rejected cubs and a dog saved from the shelter… sounds like a best-case scenario for everyone involved! Thanks to the loving care of Rosemary the dog, the two tiger cubs had a better upbringing and a chance at life.
You can see footage of the cubs and Rosemary below:
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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