ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Bengal tiger cub found in Albuquerque last month has been transferred to a wildlife sanctuary in Colorado. The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg is home to rescued lions, tigers, and bears – altogether, about 550 large carnivores.
The newest part of the pack is Duke. “He’s approximately four months old,” says Pat Craig, executive director of the Wild Animal Sanctuary. “Nobody exactly the age he was bought illegally. And then the people that had him, he was seized in an illegal drug-related shooting that was down in Albuquerque, New Mexico.”
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Police found Duke after hearing gunshots near a mobile home. “They found a trail of blood to where this guy had a tiger cub and a little tiny, you know, carrier there,” says Craig.
While he’s still teeny, in a week at his new home, they say he’s almost doubled in size. “Yeah, right now I would say he’s just under 20 pounds and he’ll end up at about 450 to 500 pounds when he’s full grown,” adds Craig.
After about another week, Duke can be moved to a habitat outside where he can play with other rescued tigers more his size.
