TIGER’S TALE
Aria, the Bengal tiger who had been kept
by a North couple for the past decade, is now recovering from Salmonella
and issues with her pancreatic enzymes. The tiger was accepted at the
non-profit Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro, N.C. “She is gaining
weight and doing so much better than we ever would have expected,” said
Pam Fulk, executive director of the sanctuary.
Napping at Carolina Tiger Rescue, Aria seems quite contented. Sanctuary officials say the fully grown Bengal tiger must still undergo an expensive treatment for the enzyme disorder that could take up to six months.
Napping at Carolina Tiger Rescue, Aria seems quite contented. Sanctuary officials say the fully grown Bengal tiger must still undergo an expensive treatment for the enzyme disorder that could take up to six months.
PITTSBORO, N.C. — Chuffing is a good thing. It means the chuffer is happy. That, or it’s lunchtime.
A tiger who wasn’t chuffing was taken to a North Carolina facility with a serious illness last month, and is now said to be recovering quite nicely.
“She is now eating very well and putting on weight, and clearly feels better,” said Pam Fulk, executive director of Carolina Tiger Rescue, whose mission is saving wild cats in captivity and in the wild.
“She is gaining weight and doing so much better than we ever would have expected,” she added.
The fully grown Bengal tiger, whose name is Aria, was accepted for admission at Carolina Tiger last month after her owners in North realized she was critically ill.
Renamed because of a conflict at the animal care facility, Aria had been with her North family for the past decade. They could tell when she felt well and when she didn’t. Aria had dropped to about half of the 700 pounds a healthy Bengal should weigh.
Orangeburg County Animal Control officers said the North area couple had tried everything they knew, but were unable to get the big cat’s weight up.
Now, a month later, veterinarians in North Carolina say Aria appears to be on the mend. She’s not only chuffing (making a low-frequency sound equivalent to the purring of domesticated cats) but rubbing as well. Fulk said doctors have uncovered two underlying problems that caused the big cat’s lethargy and weight loss.
“She has Salmonella and her pancreatic enzymes are all out of sync,” Fulk said. “Either of these could have started her downhill slide and led to the other condition. It doesn’t really matter which came first, both have to be treated.”
Staffers at the facility have kept a running record of Aria’s progress since she was transported from North to North Carolina on May 25.
A May 31 post on the sanctuary’s Facebook page states in part: “Aria’s condition continues to improve. She has been eating well and greeting the animal care staff with chuffles. We don’t know for sure what caused her decline. We are still not out of the woods. There may be other damage that we are not aware of, but with each day passing, she is getting stronger and stronger.”
Two weeks later, on June 14, a post indicated Aria was beginning to enjoy her outdoor enclosure, moving up to the fence and expressing her pleasure by chuffing once again.
“She’s taking treats/meds with little to no hesitation,” the entry reads. “She’s still a little nervous about all of the new noises, but ... I’m betting that will settle down as we get through the weekend. Her leg is looking great. Her coat looks pretty rough, but she’s shedding a lot and grooming herself. She should be looking great in no time!”
Fulk said the very expensive treatment for the enzyme disorder could take up to six months. The beef product that remedies the illness has to be shipped from California, she said.
For more information, visit Carolina Tiger Rescue on its Facebook page.
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