We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: wild animals have no place in the circus.
Aasha, a Bengal tiger, is another example of an animal abused by the circus. But, thankfully, it ended well for her, thanks to an animal organization that provided her with exactly what she required.
Read her incredible story below.
Aasha was rescued in 2011 from a traveling circus. At the time, she was nine months old and had spent her entire life in a cage with a particularly vicious tiger.
Her fur was thinning and her skin was infected. Her traumatic childhood stunted her growth and made her smaller than she should have been: she weighed the same as a three-month-old.
Aasha was given to In-Sync Exotics, a non-profit organization that cares for and rehabilitates wild felines who have been abused in captivity.
Every day, twice a day, I would go in and give Aasha medications and spend time with her,” In-Sync Exotics’ Vicky Keahey explained.
Vicky had to give Aasha a special medical bath every day. Vicky had to chase the young tiger around her cage and force her into the bath because she didn’t like it.
Aasha’s fur began to grow back after eight weeks of treatment. She gradually began to appreciate her daily baths as well. Even after Aasha’s treatments were completed and she no longer required baths, Vicky continued to run baths for her so the tiger could have fun in the water.
Aasha grew and became much healthier over time. She grew too big for Vicky to sit with her in her cage after a while, so she continued to play with Aasha through the cage instead.
Aasha had recovered after eight months, and it was time to see how she would react to other tigers.
Aasha’s caregivers decided to introduce her to Smuggler, a male who was lonely. They put their cages next to each other so they could get close, and Smuggler fell in love right away.
Despite the fact that Smuggler was three times the size of Aasha, the staff noticed that the two tigers got along well, so they put them together for supervised visits. Aasha could not be happier.
The two tigers were ready to live together permanently after a few supervised encounters.
Aasha and Smuggler have been together for five years and are still inseparable. Aasha is now an adult tiger who is healthy and playful. She also enjoys swimming!
Aasha will never be released into the wild because her upbringing in captivity prevented her from developing the necessary survival skills. She does, however, have a good life. And she will never be treated like she was at the circus again!