Emaciated Tigers Rescued from Farm and Moved to Sanctuary: 'The Second Chance that They Deserve'

The big cats were moved from a tiger farm in northern Thailand and moved to Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

Captivity in a concrete box is over for 15 big cats.

On Dec. 16, 12 tigers and three leopards were rescued from a tiger farm in northern Thailand, where the animals have spent their lives in captivity. The rescue was prompted after legal action was taken against the undisclosed farm over alleged illegal wildlife trading, according to Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT).

Government officials and rescuers from WFFT visited the farm in December to begin removing animals to move to WFFT's sanctuary. Rescuers started with moving the animals with the most pressing needs first. WFFT expects to take in 35 big cats from the farm overall.

Among the animals in the first group to leave the farm was Salamas, an elderly, emaciated tiger. WFFT chose not to sedate the 20-year-old tiger for her trip to the sanctuary over fears the senior tiger would not wake from sedation. Instead, rescuers encouraged Salamas to move from her concrete enclosure into a transport cage. Salamas was then placed in a specialist wildlife ambulance, which drove overnight to reach the tiger's new home.

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The other big cats, who had breathing issues, missing fur, and other health problems, were sedated and given medical checks before the journey to WFFT's sanctuary. Now that the first group of 15 animals has reached WFFT, the focus is on helping the big cats recover at the sanctuary's Tiger Rescue Centre.

According to WFFT, the animals spent their entire lives in captivity in concrete enclosures, so walking around the sanctuary will likely be the first time the big cats feel the grass under their paws. The Tiger Rescue Centre contains 17 acres of natural land with space for animals to swim, relax, and play.

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"We are thrilled to now finally give these magnificent animals a new life at WFFT's Tiger Rescue Centre. Sadly, they will never be able to return to the wild, but we can offer them the next best thing: a safe sanctuary home where they can roam forested land, socialize with other tigers, and even swim in the lake. We are grateful to the Thai government's Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNP) for taking action against the illegal wildlife trade and for collaborating with WFFT to help give these tigers the second chance that they deserve," Edwin Wiek, the founder and director of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

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To learn more about WFFT and how to help care for these recovering big cats, visit the organization's website.

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