Aasha, a Bengal tiger, was just 9 months old. But she weighed around 30 pounds, which was a size more appropriate for a 3-month-old cub.
Vicky Keahey, founder of Texas’ In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center, first learned this startling fact in March 2011 through her U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector, who was concerned about Aasha and wanted to transfer her into Keahey’s care.
“I asked how could a 9-month-old tiger be that small,” Keahey told The Dodo. As Keahey learned more, Aasha’s sad story came together piece by piece — painting the scene for an all-too-familiar scene: Aasha belonged to a traveling circus. She shared a cage with a much larger tiger, who frequently picked on her.
The USDA inspector explained that, during a recent investigation, it was discovered the animals at the circus weren’t receiving proper care, noting that there was something particularly wrong with Aasha, although it was uncertain what.
Keahey agreed to take her in and, as soon as she saw Aasha in person, she knew exactly what plagued the young tiger cub: ringworm.
“Aasha’s bald spots covered almost her entire body and her skin was dry [with] cracked, darken areas and bleeding,” Keahey said. She also had open wounds, which Keahey assumed were bite marks from the larger tiger she lived with. A trip to the veterinarian confirmed Aasha’s ringworm, and she was taken to an isolated enclosure at In-Sync Exotics.
“Every day, twice a day, I would go in and give Aasha medications and spend time with her,” Keahey said. “I knew I was going to have to handle her in order to get her well.” Aasha also received a special medicated bath daily, which she wasn’t exactly thrilled about — Keahey said she ran away, forcing Keahey to chase after her. But little did Aasha realize she’d soon become quite the swimmer.
“After eight weeks of treatments you could see little bits of fuzz growing back to [what once] bald spots,” Keahey said.
When Aasha was rescued from the circus, her bald spots covered almost her entire body and her skin was dry with cracked, dark areas and bleeding.
“Every day, twice a day, I would go in and give Aasha medications and spend time with her,” said Vicky Keahey, founder of Texas’ In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center.
At first, Keahey would have to chase Aasha to get her into medicated baths, but the cub soon started to like them and her condition improved drastically.
“Within eight months she looked like a real tiger, and it was time to see how she would react to other tigers,” Keahey said.
Aasha was introduced to a bigger tiger named Smuggler who “went crazy for her and was always showing off for her.”
Now the two live in the same enclosure together and Aasha is a healthy and very much loved tigress.
And she just can’t get enough of her baths!
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