Swiss Shepherd dog adopts 3 baby tigers in Sochi, Russia

Digital Journal, Anne Sewell, Nov 22, 2012

Sochi - When Siberian tiger mother, Bagheera, refused to feed her newborn cubs, a white Swiss Shepherd dog, named Tally, came to the rescue and is feeding them herself.

The three tiger cubs, two male and one female, were abandoned recently by their mother at the local zoo, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

According to zoo keepers, the dog was producing milk for the cubs that were born in October, even though her own puppies have not yet been born. Keepers are feeding Tally a high protein diet to ensure that she has enough milk for them all.

Zoo spokesperson, Victoria Kudlaeva, said she was surprised that Tally adopted the three cubs so quickly. They are apparently also receiving an additional supplement in the form of goat's milk.

The female cub has been named for her adopted mother, Tally, and the zoo is running a contest to name the two male cubs.

This is apparently not the first time that Baheera has abandoned her cubs at the zoo. The last time, five months ago, a sand-colored Shar Pei dog named Cleopatra did the duty as wet nurse for the two cubs. An article giving photos of the now grown cubs and their foster mother can be viewed here.

Swiss Shepherd dog Talli feeds orphaned tiger cubs

 and her own cubs in the Russian Black Sea resort of

Sochi. The little tigers were born last month in the

 Oktyabrsky Zoo but abandoned by their birth mother, 

tigress Bagira.  (AFP PHOTO / MIKHAIL MORDASOV)

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