It’s unclear how Aasha came up in such a bad situation, but she was critically sick when Vicky Keahey, the founder of Texas’ In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center, discovered her. She weighed little more than 30 pounds, which should have been the weight of a three-month-old cub — yet she was almost nine years old.
Vicky was very concerned about Aasha’s deteriorating state and wanted to find out what had happened to her. She told The Dodo, ‘I inquired how a 9-month-old tiger could be that little.’
The sad tiger cub turned out to be a member of a traveling circus. She wasn’t permitted to eat because she was held in a cage with a larger animal. She also had a skin ailment known as ringworm, which was exacerbated by her lack of basic treatment. As a result, Vicky made the decision to abduct Aasha and care for her. According to the Dodo, she was transferred to a separate enclosure at ‘In-Sync Exotics.’
“Aasha’s bald spots covered virtually her entire body, and her skin was dry, damaged, and darkened,” Vicky added. “I would go in twice a day to give Aasha her medications and spend time with her.” I knew I’d have to deal with her if I was going to get her better.”
And the wild kitten’s situation never looked better after only a few weeks of adequate treatment. “You could see little tufts of fuzz sprouting back to [what were once] bald places after eight weeks of therapy,” Vicky added.
Aasha, on the other hand, needed over eight months to fully heal. ‘She looked like a true tiger in eight months, and it was time to test how she would behave to other tigers,’ Vicky added. And she’s completely unrecognizable right now!
