tiger

If you're a cat lover anything like us, then one thing is definitely true about you - you think ALL cats are purrfect, and that, of course, includes big cats. Wild cats are adorable, and that's just fact. No matter how scary they are or how dangerous, if a wild cat turns onto his back and shows off its belly, we would definitely want to pet it, no matter the risk.

Today, we're going to show our love to the most definitely underappreciated wild cats in our midst. And, we're going to prove - once and for all - that big wild cats are just as awwdorable as the tiniest itty bitty kittens. 

Earlier this month, after someone had reported hearing a crying tiger left out in the cold on a property nearby, Elsa the tiger was rescued by Bexar County deputies. As reported by KHOU 11, she is six months old and 60 pounds in weight. She has a raw wounded area on her forehead from having rubbed against her cage for so long while being stuck in it, according to the Humane Society US, as well as some fur missing from having been wearing a dog harness. 

But now - finally - she's getting her happy ending Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas.

Read more of her heartwarming story and see pictures below.

I know you wanna pet them! I know, I do too, but they are too dangerous. Or... are they? They definitely don't look like it. Not when they're itty bitty teeny weeny baby cubs. They look so floofy and cute and too pet-able. Just once in our lives, please, we would like to pet one of these ferocious cats. 

Of course, we don't mean to offend you, you majestic little felines. Just because you are smol and awwdorable, doesn't mean that you are also not the smallest, most fiercest kittens in the animal kingdom, and we have all the respect in the world for you. We also desperately wanna cuddle you. 

If you're a cat lover like us, you have a soft spot in your heart not just for house cats but also for big cats. You'd pet them if you could, and you know it. And you wish you could spend more time around big cats like that and get to know them better, learn about each of them - what makes them special and different and what their personalities are like. 

Well, say thank you to tumblr user carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory for deciding to share their big cat knowledge with us and teaching us - unlucky big cat lovers who can't spend time with big cats - about what makes wild cats unique. Reading this has both educated us and made us want to cuddle a snow leopard even more. 

Combine the magic of snow with the majesty of the tiger, and you get some of the most wholesome, chill pictures on the web. Because you know how chill these tigers must have been to sit there for so long and just let the snow cover them, turning themselves from stunning orange and black beauties to the most magical, majestic looking white tigers.

These pictures are the exact type of chill that we need to start our week off with. Cold but snuggly and infinitely powerful and beautiful. So, let this white blanket envelop you and imagine being as chill about it as these lovely big kitties. 

There's a reason that all of us cat lovers also have a special place in our hearts for big cats, and it is that all big cats are basically regular cats... enlarged. They have the same faces - just bigger, they are just as silly - just bigger, and they have the same habits... just bigger. 

And so, their bleps are also... bigger. And though in this case, bigger is not necessarily better, it is definitely just as cute. Regular cat bleps are some of our favorite all time cat pictures, but they're, of course, not the only animals who can do the blep. Foxes are already strong blepping competition, and now, the big cats are officially entering the race too. You be the judge deciding who you think is the master of the blep. 

Istanbul's Aslan Park is home to two big cats who have become best friends. A white lion called Pamuk and a Bengal tiger called Toby who are both only 18 months old have taken over our hearts with their adorable friendship. When they were just  four months old, the zookeepers attempted to separate the cubs, but the cubs had other plans. 

Daily News reports that Gökmen Aydın, the general par manager, said: "We wanted to separate them as both belong to different species. Then we realize uneasiness in animals. We started to think about the cause. When they got together later, we saw that they want to stay with each other. They became friends within four months," and we just can't help but awww.

Pamuk and Toby sleep most day, like all cats do, but they play together a lot and absolutely hate being separated for any reason whatsoever. "They sometimes sleep while hugging each other," added Aydın, and okay, que some more awws right about now. We wish them a long friendship even as they grow older and as much happiness as they have in general. Their story brought us immense happiness for sure. 

Check out pictures of Pamuk and Toby together below! And if you're interested in more happy friendships between species, take a look at this Pitbull and rescued fox cub who are total BFFs.

There's a reason that one of the ultimate prizes for any cat owner is having their cat stretch and turn and yawn and allow us to rub its soft fluffy squishy belly. It's one of the ultimate indicators of trust that cats have. It shows you just how comfortable they are with you. So, we all have the biggest soft spot for cat bellies. 

Combine that with the soft spot that we have for big wild cats being adorable and boom ultimate cuteness. So, as a special treat, today, we've collected a bunch of pictures of big cats showing off their big bellies. Cubs and adults alike, sometimes you just gotta let loose and let your belly hang free. We only wish we could reach into the screen and give those bellies some love.

Every day, we hear about breaking stories of animals being rescued, and every day, we feel grateful for the rescuers. We try our very best to tell you about these heartwarming stories here, but there are just far too many to keep count of. Some of these rescuers are firefighters, some are shelters, and others are just regular people like us who saw an animal in need and decided to do their best to save them. So, to show some more gratitude, highlight the wonderful people who put in their time and effort to save our furry little friends, and celebrate the animals saved, we made a collection of some of these stories from the past month.

Week by week, we bring you the best that animal twitter has to offer - the most popular animal tweets. This week's lineup is starring: showering otters, muscular tigers, and bats with pacifiers. We know that the best way to start off any week is to dive into the mindhive of twitter and be truly amazed by the things that twitter users enjoy. Some will have you smiling, others awwing, some will have you snorting, some will remind you that Halloween is nearing, and others will make your hear flutter with gratitude. 

So, enjoy this week's animal tweets, give your pet a treat if you have one and make sure to wish for them to have a good week too. And our wish this week to you is to meet a cute dog this week and have it lick your hand.

Some pictures are impossible to capture in just a few words, the stories behind them are far too fascinating. Week by week, we bring you a collection of photos just like these. 

When it comes to pictures that are worth more than 1000 words, there is complexity. It's not just that these pictures are beautiful, which they are, but we also see the story behind them - the emotions, the atmosphere, the endless possible situations which might have led to the pictures being taken. They could be funny, heartwarming, or awe-inspiring. They might make you smile, or they might make you think. What's for sure is that there is no way we could sum them up in anything less than 1000 words. 

A terrifying story with a happy ending. Three years ago, a six week old Bengal tiger cub was rescued from a wildlife trafficking attempt at a San Diego area border crossing. Today, the fully grown tiger, Moka, is living happily with another rescued tiger named Nola.

Moka was discovered in the floorboard of a sports car driven by an 18-year-old man who was attempting to smuggle the tiger from Tijuana through the U.S.-Mexico border. As reported by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and Border Report, the passenger under whose legs the cub was hidden had at first said that it was "just a cat." The driver, Luis Valencia, when questioned, claimed that he had bought the tiger in Tijuana after seeing someone walking it on a leash and wanted to keep it as a pet. Later, of course, it was discovered that both statements were false, and Luis was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges.

The cub was taken to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and had a surgery that saved his life. At the time, his weight was less than that of the average house cat - just 6 pounds. His name, Moka, means "chance" in Bengali and was given to him as a way of commemorating the story of his discovery. There, he got to meet Rakan, "a Sumartan tiger cub whose mother was unable to care for him," and together they grew up, played, wrestled, and pounced, becoming stronger and happier.

After a few months of care, still only a few months old, Moka was moved into an animal sanctuary called Lions, Tigers & Bears east of San Diego where he met Nola from Louisiana - another now fully grown tiger who was rescued as a cub.

The founder and director of Lions, Tigers & bears, Bobbi Brink, told Border Report that "[Moka and Nola] were both the same age, so they made great roommates, now they're best of friends," as well as that "[h]e's kind of shy but Nola is his strength. She'll be the first one to go out and check out something then slowly but surely he'll be right behind her," and no ending could make us happier.

Take a look at pictures of Moka from three years ago, over the first three months at the safari (with Rakan!) and today below.

Happy International Tiger Day! 

We shared an update from India's Tiger Reserves earlier this morning, and we're happy to hear the numbers for these endangered animals have been climbing, over the years!

However, there's always more work to be done! On this day, it's important to raise awareness for their conservation. Sadly, tigers have lost 90% of their natural habitat and their population has dwindled down to less than 4,000. India shared a report that revealed their tiger population increased from 1,400 in 2014 to a total of 2,967. That's more than double! While there is still a long way to go, it feels like we're on the right track. 

Let's continue to help this beautiful species thrive by spreading the word and donating what we can! You can even adopt a big cat at World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). 

Over the past 12 years, India has nearly doubled its tiger population! Did you know that Tigers in India hold up to 70% of the world's tiger population? How wild is that! 

In honor of International Tiger Day, Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister, released a report about the current status of Tigers in India. His report states, "In 1973, there were just nine tiger reserves which have now increased to 50. It is important to know that none of these reserves are of poor quality. Either they are good or the best."

Three tiger reverses (out of 50 reserves) shared in 2018 that they have no tigers left. The reserve with the most tiger population is Corbett at 231 tigers, followed by Nagarhole with 127 and Bandipore with 126 tigers. 

Check out some gorgeous tigers from India's Tiger Reserves below:

Story via Business Insider