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Sulley and four other tiger cubs were bought by an exhibitor
from a breeder in Texas. The exhibitor charged $25 at fairs
and carnivals for pictures with the tiger cubs. Sulley’s
legs bowed outward from malnourishment. Howard Wilson
photo
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Veterinary
Surgeons Attempt to Save Tiger From Previous Abuse
By Christian Basi
Sulley, a 400-pound tiger that suffered from
severe malformations of his front legs as a result of abuse as
a tiger cub, was euthanized April 14 when he succumbed to post
surgical complications. University of Missouri-Columbia veterinarians
had attempted to save the tiger by performing a 6-hour surgery
during which the surgeons corrected the abnormality in his right
leg. The surgery, the first of its type to be performed on a tiger,
was conducted on March 21. Without the surgery to correct his
bone deformities, Sulley’s condition would have continued
to deteriorate.
Sulley’s weight and size contributed
to failure of the orthopaedic hardware during the recovery period
resulting in the need to euthanize him humanely.
“The staff of the Wild Animal
Sanctuary wish to convey their sincerest gratitude to the University
of Missouri-Columbia Veterinary
School, the surgeons and their dedicated medical team, the
Colorado veterinarians who lent support and aftercare, the medical
supply companies who donated time, talent and materials, and to
the Sanctuary’s dedicated supporters, who make possible
the rescue of abused animals like Sulley,” said Pat Craig,
executive director of the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Keenesburg,
Colo. “We’re deeply saddened by the death of Sulley,
who was a much-loved resident with us for more than two years.
Every possible option was considered by the Sanctuary and Sulley’s
doctors in an effort to save his life.”
“In this case, the bad that man
did could not be overcome by the good that man tried to do,”
said Jimi Cook, associate professor of small animal surgery and
one of the surgeons who treated Sulley. “I think the sad
end to his sad story should heighten the awareness and education
it brings. Sulley’s case highlights the need for prevention
of this problem even more since even the best treatments we have
could not overcome his former abuse. I think it is important that
we keep telling this story to make people aware of the seriousness
of animal neglect and abuse. Support groups such as the Sanctuary
and Mizzou’s
Tigers for Tigers should be commended and supported for their
efforts to prevent and stop this abuse.”
Cook, director of the Comparative
Orthopaedic Laboratory, was part of the MU surgical team that
included Derek Fox, assistant professor of small animal surgery
and associate director of the COL, and James Tomlinson, professor
of small animal orthopaedic surgery.
Before being rescued by the Wild Animal Sanctuary,
Sulley and four other tiger cubs were bought by an exhibitor from
a breeder in Texas. The exhibitor charged up to $25 at fairs and
carnivals for pictures with the tiger cubs. Although this practice
is legal if the exhibitor is licensed by the USDA, many of these
operations have poorly trained personnel who do not give the correct
nourishment or care to the cubs. Tiger cubs are often taken away
from their mothers when they are as young as 10 days. Exhibitors
replace tigers that are too big with cubs.
When Sulley was 12 weeks old, the maximum
age allowed by the USDA for these types of operations, he was
returned to his base camp with his siblings. A man not licensed
by the USDA but willing to try and make a profit anyway took the
five cubs. Living out of his car with five tiger cubs, he drove
to New Orleans and displayed the cubs in parking lots. This practice
did not last long, however. After one of the cubs died from being
left in the hot car too long, and another died from unknown circumstances,
the man was arrested for animal cruelty.
MU veterinarians attempted to save Sulley by performing
a six-hour surgery to correct the abnormality in his right
leg. Howard Wilson photo
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When the local Society of the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals confiscated the tigers, they notified The Wild
Animal Sanctuary, where staff members made arrangements to rescue
them and take them back to Colorado. All three of the remaining
cubs were malnourished and had varying stages of leg deformities.
The sanctuary's veterinarian returned the cubs to a carnivore
milk formula diet. Two cubs' legs began to improve and straighten
with their next growth spurt, but Sulley's legs did not. The Wild
Animal Sanctuary contacted Cook through Dr. Erick Egger of Colorado.
Egger was familiar with MU’s expertise in arthroscopy and
correction of similar leg deformities in dogs and asked if Fox,
Tomlinson and Cook could perform the surgery.
“Sulley’s bright and indomitable
spirit has forged a bond among those who strove to save his life,”
Craig said. “The hope is that Sulley’s story will
be an inspiration for many to join together to work tirelessly
to educate Americans about the tragic plight suffered by thousands
of captive exotic animals, and to ensure that future generations
of these magnificent creatures can live in peace and dignity,
as they were born to do.”
“Sulley was a magnificent member of an
often mistreated and misunderstood species,” Fox said. “He
and thousands of others like him in this country deserve better
than this. Hopefully, his story will awaken people to the plight
of privately owned, captive wild animals that are so often exploited
and suffer at the hands of human entertainment for monetary gain.”
Mizzou is home to Mizzou Tigers for Tigers,
the nation’s first tiger mascot conservation program. Faculty,
staff, students and alumni from the College of Agriculture, Food
and Natural Resources, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, College
of Veterinary Medicine, School of Journalism, Department of Biological
Sciences, Department of Environmental Studies, International Center,
University Affairs, Alumni Relations, Development and Intercollegiate
Athletics are working together to raise awareness about the endangered
status of the University's mascot, while raising funds to aid
in wild tiger research and conservation.
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Last Update:
March 12, 2007
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