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Mysterious Box Sat At The Airport For 7 Days Until Someone Finally Helped The Animals Trapped Inside (UPDATED)
An unmarked wooden box only 16 inches tall sat at the Beirut Airport in Lebanon for a week before being opened – and people were shocked to find out three endangered Siberian tiger cubs inside. Dehydrated and starved, they were covered in urine and feces, their bodies infested with hundreds of maggots. “Nothing indicated that the box contained tigers or even live animals, and there were no details of a shipper or receiver,” rescue group Animals Lebanon (AL) wrote.
Turned out, the cubs were travelling from the the Nikolaev Zoo in Ukraine to the Samer al-Husainawi Zoo in Damascus, Syria when they got stuck in Lebanon.
This horrible scene people witnessed when they opened the box revealed just how badly exotic animals are sometimes being treated. AL made a plea to confiscate the tigers from their original owner arguing this was a case of cruelty against animals. Now the cubs are safe and sound and getting stronger every day.
“Big cats can be worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market. The owner is fighting to get them back,” AL wrote. “And we are fighting for the tigers.”
Update: Bored Panda contacted Animals Lebanon who clarified that while being stuck at the airport, the tiger cubs did get visited by a representative of the importing zoo for around 15 minutes each day before being rescued. While the tiger babies are getting stronger everyday, their future is unknown. There’s a chance they could be given back to the legal owner and probably end up on the black market, but Animals Lebanon is doing everything for that not to happen. To support their case, visit the website below.
More info: Animals Lebanon | Facebook (h/t: thedodo)
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An unmarked wooden box was left at the Beirut Airport in Lebanon for a week before being opened…
Image credits: Animals Lebanon
And people were shocked to find three endangered Siberian tiger cubs inside
Image credits: Animals Lebanon
Dehydrated and starved, they were covered in urine and feces, their bodies infested with hundreds of maggots
Image credits: Animals Lebanon
“Nothing indicated that the box contained tigers or even live animals, and there were no details of a shipper”
Image credits: Hussein Malla
Now the cubs are safe and sound and getting stronger every day at Animals Lebanon
“Big cats can be worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market”
Image credits: Hussein Malla
“The owner is fighting to get them back… And we are fighting for the tigers”
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What do you think ?
Alusair Alustriel 7 years ago
"Nothing indicated that the box contained tigers or even live animals" apart from the breathing holes, sounds and smell. C'mon and give me a break. This just shows how ignorant people are of their surroundings. I'm happy they were found, rescued and are better now.
Alberto Curutchet 7 years ago
The comment is not to excuse the airport workers for their misperformace. It's only to confirm that this was a black market shipment, and to create awareness of that matter. I guess everybody agrees that the airport workers are idiots. Is either that or they are partners in crime...
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Brigitte 7 years ago
I don't believe for a second that a big box like this could stay unattended for a whole week at an airport. Something's fishy.
Barbara Andrews Foster 7 years ago
I agree Brigitte. How did this happen and these beautiful animals never made a sound
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Pam Tafarella 7 years ago
I hate this whole story. That these little guys were even in this situation and that no one at the airport bothered to check and see why this crate had breathing holes #humanfail
Alusair Alustriel 7 years ago
"Nothing indicated that the box contained tigers or even live animals" apart from the breathing holes, sounds and smell. C'mon and give me a break. This just shows how ignorant people are of their surroundings. I'm happy they were found, rescued and are better now.
Alberto Curutchet 7 years ago
The comment is not to excuse the airport workers for their misperformace. It's only to confirm that this was a black market shipment, and to create awareness of that matter. I guess everybody agrees that the airport workers are idiots. Is either that or they are partners in crime...
Load More Replies... Brigitte 7 years ago
I don't believe for a second that a big box like this could stay unattended for a whole week at an airport. Something's fishy.
Barbara Andrews Foster 7 years ago
I agree Brigitte. How did this happen and these beautiful animals never made a sound
Load More Replies... Pam Tafarella 7 years ago
I hate this whole story. That these little guys were even in this situation and that no one at the airport bothered to check and see why this crate had breathing holes #humanfail
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