Is it true that a popular photograph depicts a tigress that has “adopted” piglets instead of the dead tigers?

Not the first year of social networks is conquered by a series of pictures in which the tigress is surrounded by piglets in striped assholes. We checked whether the heartbreaking story of this tigress is true.

Typically, photographs are accompanied by text, the same with accuracy to details and translation: “The female Tigress lost her cubs as a result of premature birth. Soon after, her health worsened, and she was diagnosed with depression. Therefore, the caretakers wrapped piglets into a tiger fabric and gave the tiger-mother. Now she loves these pigs and treats them like her children. ”

A series of pictures was especially popular on Facebook, where she first conquered English -speaking users (you can find publications from December 2012 from 15,000, 16,000 And even 283,000 reposts), and then the Russian -speaking segment (publications of 2018–2021 from 900, 1400 And 1700 reposts). In the summer of 2022, this story caused a response among the Spanish -speaking users (5500 And 6000 reposts as of the end of June).

In some publications, Thailand is called the scene of this touching case. Indeed, it turns out that the pictures were taken in the distant 2004 in the Tiger Zoo Syrach, in the Thai province of Chonburi. In the most popular of the pictures you can see Date Filming - January 23. A few more frames on which piglets are already with red bows, appeared November 18 of the same year. But the photograph of Tolstoy Tiger (or Tigress) has long become meme And it has nothing to do with the Thai zoo.

This zoo gained wide fame abroad - primarily for its original entertainment and show, which resembled some ideas of the famous Circus Barnum. One of these experiments was devoted to its article Pattaya Mail: “Visitors recently witnessed a strange feeding with the most famous inhabitants of the zoo. A two -year -old pig named Benjamai ... took four tiger and feed them with three tiny pigs as if she were their mother. She loves these cats, and they reciprocate her.

Without believing their eyes, tourists pressed against the cage in order to better consider everything. When they went to the next cage, another surprise was waiting for them: there was a huge royal Bengal tigress on their side, feeding six tiny piglets.

Saimai Tigress-Mama Mama, and in childhood, a pig fed her until four months. This democratic education allowed her to establish a love relationship with other pigs and even with a dog. In the wild, perhaps it would be her food, and in the zoo there are already tourists, witnesses of these amazing scenes, leave food for thought. ”

Told about this unusual symbiosis and local TV, and employees of the zoo in 2009 reported to the correspondent Reutersthat the experiment was conducted with the aim of accustoming predators and their potential production to each other and making tigers less aggressive. Thus, the depression of the Tigress who lost children is an invented detail that appeared no later than 2006, when the plot is already actively Distolled On the Internet.

Unfortunately, the Sirach Zoo managed by the Buddhist monks fell into the news headlines not only for funny reasons. In different years he Facing In complaints about cruel or incorrect treatments with animals, and during the epidemic of bird flu, about 100 individuals died or killed here. However, a real scourge was the local practice of commercial breeding tigers for sale, caused by special demand in China, where individual parts of the body of these cats are valued. In 2019, after the next find, consisting of 1600 pieces of tigers and several dozens of frozen cubs, the zoo, in addition to all of the license, Closed. Nevertheless, one touching story from his bright past continues to conquer the world.

Image on the cover: Wikipedia

Half truth

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. Doing Photographs Show A Tiger Nursing Piglets?
2. Fact Check: A Female Tiger Did Not Adopt a Group of Piglets After Losing Her Cubs.