Susua Bengal tiger, spent 15 years in captivity in one cage in Thailandwhere he participated in circus shows and posed for tourist photographs at the Phuket Zoo. In a context where animal welfare was sacrificed to attract tourists, Susu saw her existence reduced to a life of captivity and exploitation.
Phuket Zoo, famous for exhibiting elephants, monkeys and big cats, has been a symbol of animal exploitation, with a long history of mistreatment. In 2022, however, its existence finally took a turn with the Wildlife Friends Foundation that is intervened to save Susu and ten other tigers and two bearsafter the zoo closed due to a dramatic decline in tourists caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though Susu would never have been able to survive in her natural habitat, her life has taken a new direction. Now lives in the foundation’s Tiger Rescue Centerwhere she has access to 17 acres of wild grass and trees, along with other rescued felines. Here Susu finally has the chance to wander freely, exploring her new environment and enjoying the tranquility that has been denied her for so many years.
The emotion of freedom
After being released from her enclosure for a moment of freedom, as soon as she put her paw on the grass for the first time she immediately felt at home, as if it had always been part of that new environment. For an animal that had never walked on natural terrain, it was an extraordinary sign of adaptation.
See Susu lying on the grass next to a new tiger friend or while curiously exploring his new space is an emotion that deeply touches the heart. Although Susu is now an adult, her recovery journey proves that it is never too late for positive change.
Now he has the opportunity to explore new spaces more suited to his nature, and every little conquest, how stretch out on a tree for the first timeis a significant step towards well-being. His story is symbolic of how, thanks to organizations like the Wildlife Friends Foundation, some animals can still find a new home and a better life. However, many other wild animals continue to be exploited in tourist traps around the world rather than live their lives free from human exploitation.
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