T.I.G.E.R.S., The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, is an animal center in in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, that features exotic animal performances in an open environment. It’s half open zoo, half circus, and has a focus on animal conservation. The animal actors and trainers from T.I.G.E.R.S have appeared on the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Tonight Show.
We published photos from the center last week of a female chimpanzee adorably caring for three week old tiger cubs.
This week the latest pictures to come out include hot young female trainers in bikinis swimming with tigers. They’re not quite as touching as a chimp serving as a nursemaid, but these photos have their own appeal. The trainers seem like they’re teaching the tigers some kind of underwater moves for a show and it doesn’t look very safe.
You can learn more about the organization on their website.
Photo credit: Fame Pictures
Awwww, love the tiger enjoying his swim. Don’t get me started on the adorable tiger cubs and chimp! I love animals. 😀
Not that it makes it any safer, but those look like cubs, not full grown tigers.
You’re right elusive I will edit that so it’s correct.
I’m wondering, are they declawed?
yeah best job ever.
I am so intensely jealous of these girls’ jobs I might be sick! Can you imagine how much they love their lives?
😯
So…maybe I’ve missed a few hours of Animal Planet programming, but I have to ask… do big cats really like the water this much?
I always thought that all cats, big and small, disliked getting in the water.
Kaiser, I had the same thought!
Anne: there’s a picture in there and one of those cubs has some major claws, so I’m guessing none of them are declawed!
Cute photos though – great job, but possibly a bit scary seeing how most cats feel about water?! 🙂
Kaiser & ER – Intrigued also by this so looked it up:
“Cat species native to hot areas enjoy water, whereas cat species from cold areas aren’t so keen. Tigers, lions, jaguars, ocelots and jaguarundi are all from hot savannas, and they enjoy taking dips in cool, refreshing streams and ponds whenever they get the chance.
Snow leopards, lynx, bobcats and cougars, on the other hand, live in cold environments and have little interest in getting wet. One veterinary professor suggests that water damages the ability of a cat’s fur to insulate the animal against cold. This would explain why cold-weather cats don’t like water — it only makes them colder. But hot-weather cats don’t have this problem.”
More of yahoo’s cat wisdom here – http://ask.yahoo.com/20030526.html
Embee – right there with you. This would be my ‘died and gone to heaven’ job.
Some big cats do like water; I just can’t remember which ones.
would all this be counted as animal cruelty? I mean it’s cuuuute btu still…
Tigers actually love water and it’s used as a reward for learning and good behavior.
There is no way they would declaw them.
Anne, “declawed” is very cruel to all cats, all sizes
Yeah, declawing is awful. Basically an amputation, I think. Love the tigers!
that is seriusly adorable…
Yes, declawing to a cat is like us having a finger amputated. It is a very invasive procedure and should never be done if you love your cat. My furniture looks like crap in a few rooms, but thats the trade off if you love your animals.
This would be my perfect job as well! I love swimming with my dog and would enjoy this as well!
One of them looks just like Tigger!
This is awful! These poor animals don’t belong in a circus environment. And I doubt that these “trainers” in bikinis have had adequate education to handle these tigers properly. Someone is going to get hurt, I fear.
Oh, and what’s wrong with declawing a cat? Mine is, and cats I’ve had in the past were as well. I can promise you that my Sammy is a very much loved, much spoiled, happy and loving cat!
@ lauri: what if your declawed kitty gets outside? she would have no way to defend herself. even indoor cats sometimes escape,and she would be helpless. instead, why not just train your cats to use a clawing post? it’s worked great for every cat i’ve had, with no need for unecessary surgery.
Lauri: I had one of my cats declawed a long time ago, and honestly had no clue how invasive the procedure was until it was over. I adore my animals as I’m sure you do, but it really is painful for the cat and can, as another poster pointed out, render them helpless if they find themselves outside and under attack.
I have been to this place in Myrtle Beach, SC. I took the tour and it is a wonderful home for all these animals. These trainers spend hundreds of hours with them and even live with some of the animals in their home on the Intitute. Yeah! These guys live there all the time. OMG what a dream job! They don’t declaw any animals and it’s not a “circus”, it’s a preserve where these animals live out healthy and happy lives. The tour of the place was awesome. They even had the elephant swim in the giant pool with the trainers. Visit their website..it’s awesome.
If you click on my web link or visit BigCatRescue dot org and look for Dying To Be Held, you will understand that the cruelty lies in where these cute tigers end up after they can’t be used for money generating publicity stunts like this. It never turns out well for the tiger, but that is a scene that animal users won’t let you see.
One tigers love water, two baskins is just trying to draw you to her website ignore her and enjoy the pictures. These woman are in no danger and that tiger is loving life. Baskins plight is to cry abuse from the pictures then trick you into coming to her website to sucker you in for donations. Its a scam.
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