Another couple of shots from Carolina Tiger Resuce (http://www.carolinatigerrescue.org/).  See yesterday’s post (and tomorrow’s as well).  This tiger died of bone cancer, and his suffering in silence is more than I can bear to think of.  Big cats (and their smaller cousins) do not show any signs of weakness or infirmity until they can no longer hold themselves up.  It’s a defense mechanism from millenia living in the wild: if others sense physical weakness, it puts the sick animal at great risk.  However, in today’s settings, where there would have been time for treatment to save this animal’s life or alleviate his suffering, it is sad to think that his handlers could not detect a problem until it was too late.  These stories move me to tears; if you live in the area, you should go take the tour at CTR and learn more about the amazing lives that the big cats there have lived, what they have endured, and what you can do to help.

– the Daily Grunge