Two rescue tigers are set to complete their long-awaited relocation to a new forever home on the Isle of Wight.
Softi and Toph will arrive at the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown tomorrow morning (Friday).
Born in captivity in Italy, the duo — who share an inseparable bond — together with eight other tigers, were discovered en route to Russia, where they were intercepted at the Belarussian border by officials and ultimately confiscated by the Poznan Zoo.
They were found in horrific conditions in tiny cages where they couldn’t stand or turn around — starving hungry, dehydrated, and covered in their own faeces.
The conditions were so poor that one tiger had sadly succumbed and was found deceased in her cage.
These tigers had already endured these conditions for 6 days, with no clear idea about where they were destined for and how much longer they would have had to survive these conditions during a 2,000km journey.
In the 20th century alone, the world has lost more than 90% of its wild tiger population.
This is estimated to have seen the number of tigers in the wild drop from 100,000 to a heartbreakingly low 3,900.
While there are no official records, it is widely believed the number of tigers in captivity outnumbers those in the wild by at least tenfold.
Lawrence Bates, COO at the Sanctuary, said:
"We are extremely excited and privileged to be able to welcome Softi and Toph into the Wildheart family.
"Scars from trauma such as those faced by these tigers take a long time to heal and the rehabilitative work the teams do here will be essential in ensuring they not only recover but thrive here at the sanctuary.
"Unfortunately, there are still many more animals being exploited around the globe and Softi and Toph will shine a spotlight on such practices so we can all work together to stop this."
Softi and Toph's incredible story and arrival at the sanctuary will be filmed for the BBC One Show.
The footage will be produced by Islander, Tony Steyger, from locally based People Media UK.
He said:
"As a local filmmaker, it was impossible not to be moved by the story of the discovery of several tigers rescued in perilous conditions on the Belarussian border.
"It makes me incredibly proud and excited to be able to share their story with the BBC One Show audience."
A wonderful end to a tragic story — the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary has pledged to cherish and care for these tigers for the rest of their days.
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