Have you ever experienced losing your luggage at an airport?
Unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence, especially during tight flight transfers. Bags can be left behind or fail to reach the connecting flight on time, which is understandable.
Thankfully, most airports excel at finding lost luggage and reuniting it with its owners within a day or two.
However, in the case of the precious cargo in this tale, things took a different turn…
No one knew the contents of the unmarked box that arrived at Beirut airport in Lebanon. The crate, riddled with holes, lacked any sender or recipient information.
When the box was eventually opened about seven days later, the staff were astonished by the disturbing discovery inside.
Inside, lying in distressing conditions, dehydrated, and infested with maggots, were three endangered Siberian tiger cubs, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
These cubs were en route from a zoo in Ukraine to Syria when a flight delay stranded them in Beirut.
With no indication of live animals inside the box, it remained unopened as no one suspected its contents.
A Dire Situation
All three cubs were in critical condition, barely able to stand after being without food or water for a week, while being infested with maggots.
Animal protection organization Animals Lebanon succeeded in convincing a judge that they could provide suitable care for the tigers. Subsequently, all three cubs received prompt veterinary attention.
It was revealed that the cubs’ mother had delivered a litter of nine, all of which were illicitly sold.
Currently, the tigers are safe and thriving in a facility where they are receiving the necessary attention and care.
An animal protection group in Lebanon also fought for custody of the cubs to prevent any chance of them being sold again.
Following a four-month evaluation period, they recovered well, and the cubs were relocated to France. There, they can grow up safe from individuals seeking to profit from their sale.
Watch the tigers below:
28 days later… After being stuck at the Beirut airport for SEVEN days, these three Siberian tiger cubs have now been rescued and in our care.We now know that they came from the Nikolaev zoo in Ukraine and reported to have been born on 18 November 2016.Attempts to understand more from the zoo have failed. We have called and emailed but no response.When did these tigers leave the zoo – and what went so wrong that they ended up in Beirut in such a TERRIBLE STATE in an unmarked crate that does not meet even the MINIMUM STANDARD?Please SHARE and LETS GET THEIR STORY HEARD!
Posted by Animals Lebanon on Tuesday, April 4, 2017
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