Swimming with Tigers

Like probably most of my fellow bloggers, I am an animal lover. Fact is, I have a menagerie of dogs and cats, all adopted from the streets. We are one big happy family, and I love each of them equally. I love to devour any reading material I can get my hands on that pertains to animals.

Two days ago, I came across some information regarding the Institute of Greatly Endangered Species also known as TIGERS. What interesting and amazing facts!

Did you know that these big, beautiful animals, the tigers are known as the best swimmers of all the big cats? Did you know that they have modified webbing between their toes to make their feet more like flippers? They can swim, and they love to swim!

Sadly, humans cannot swim with these beautiful creatures because of the danger involved. Traditionally, even animal trainers have struggled to build an attachment with the largest of the big cats because the sheer bulk of the animals limits the potential for physical interaction. However, the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or Tigers, near Miami, claims to have overcome the problem by encouraging both tigers and humans to swim together in a specially adapted pool. Despite the apparent danger, the trainers are never at risk. They have found that in the water people and tigers are on a more equal footing. The hand-reared tigers are introduced to the water a few months after birth and the trainers then give one-on-one lessons to each of the animals while they are in the water.

Although a number of wildlife parks have encouraged the animals to
swim for exercise, the routine has usually consisted of little more than
trainers throwing lumps of meat into the water for the tigers to collect.

The center's director said he wanted to give the 200lb,
two meter long creatures an opportunity to exercise properly

The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species claim that
the animals love to play in the water

With a potential to grow to over 500 lbs and eight feet in length, it is often considered that handlers will only swim with the tigers when they are no more than a year old

Filled with 100,00 gallons of water, one side of the TIGERS pool
is made of glass, so the public can see
the handlers and the animals up close swimming together

Simply amazing, isn't it?