Gladys Porter Zoo employees have been nursing a two-month-old tiger cub since Monday night.
The zoo is in the early stages of finding a sanctuary for the cub. The tiger cub is not on display but is instead being monitored by zoo veterinarians inside a caged area.
Zoo veterinarians say that it appears the cub had been around humans before due to it’s willingness to receive food and milk from zoo keepers.
“We recognize that the Border Customs and other agencies don’t have any other place to put an item like this that was confiscated,” said Gladys Porter Zoo Senior Veterinarian Thomas De Maar. “There is no animal facility anywhere nearby.”
According to a release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the tiger was found Monday by agents in Brownsville. The male cub was being smuggled by three people attempting to enter the United States illegally. It was abandoned inside a black duffle bag as the suspect fled from agents back into Mexico.
Zoo officials say the tiger cub had been sedated and was dehydrated when it was brought to them by Border Patrol. Zoo veterinarians were able to give the cub IV fluid so the cub could regain its strength.
According to the zoo, the cub is healthy and playful.
