In Bangkok, customs officers heard strange noises coming from what appeared to be a bag for a businesswoman.
But they could hardly believe their eyes when they opened it: hidden among the clothes was a real, live tiger.
The woman was flying from Thailand to Iran. But because her bag was very heavy, she was redirected to go through security.
When customs scanned her bag, they thought they heard strange noises coming from the bag – and upon opening it, they discovered a real live tiger inside.
The estimated 3-month-old tiger was drugged. The woman was immediately arrested and later convicted of animal smuggling, according to the Huffington Post.
Customs took the tiger into their care and sent it to a specialized animal center for treatment and care.
Unfortunately, tigers only live in a few countries in Asia. The number of wild tigers has dramatically declined and the species is in danger. Illegal tiger trade is also widespread. In many countries, such as Iran, tigers are kept as pets and tiger cubs are sold on the black market for tens of thousands of dollars. This incident with the businesswoman occurred in 2010, but the issue still persists.
We must put an end to illegal animal trade.
Share this important message with everyone you know, if you agree that animal smuggling is completely unacceptable!
