Rescued tiger cub now rehabilitating at Scottsdale facility

Police say tiger cub was illegally listed for sale online

Officials at Scottsdale-based Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center say a tiger cub is now safely in their hands and being cared for after the animal was recently rescued by the Phoenix Police Department.

In January, police say a tiger cub was illegally listed for sale on social media by a man in Phoenix, according to a press release from SWCC. When officers were notified about the tiger cub being listed for sale, officers say they contacted the seller posing as a potential buyer.

Once they gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant, the tiger cub, and other exotic animals, including baby snapping turtles and a baby alligator were seized and turned over to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. 

The SWCC Director Linda Searles says her organization picked up the tiger cub and it now lives in a special enclosure in the animal hospital at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale where she is getting the care it needs.

Searles says when the animal first arrived, it was a little wobbly but after being put onto a specified diet for tiger cubs, she has filled out and grown a lot.

“We are proud to say the tiger cub is a very active and healthy cub,” said Searles. “She has received lots of enrichment from the animal care team and medical staff at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. She has plenty of toys and entertainment to keep her busy while she waits to be taken to her forever home.”

A grand jury has reportedly indicted the man in charge of endangering and selling the tiger cub, but the case is still ongoing, the press release stated. The tiger cub will remain in the care of the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center until the case is settled. Once the case is settled, the animal will be sent to an out-of-state sanctuary that has other tigers and a large grassy treed enclosure with access to temperature-controlled indoor housing.

Southwest Wildlife, accredited by the American Sanctuary Association, rescues and rehabilitates wildlife that has been injured, displaced, and orphaned. Once rehabilitated, they are returned to the wild. Sanctuary is provided to animals that cannot be released back to the wild.

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