Tiger on brink of death takes first steps on grass after being rescued from war zone

Two years ago Aleks the white tiger was stuck in a war zone, infested with parasites and on the verge of death.

But this week the beautiful big cat marked a major turning point in his recovery as he was able to pad across grass for the first time since leaving his Ukrainian home.

The tiger was found in a residential yard in Kharkiv by military volunteers and initially moved to a wild animal rescue centre. His owner is presumed dead.

It took 18 months to get permission to transport him 1,630 miles, to his new home, Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in Friskney, near Boston, where he arrived in February this year.

‘He was on the verge of death,’ Steve Nichols, CEO of the park, said. ‘His skin was badly inflamed and could be seen through bald patches on his back, he couldn’t stand on his hind legs and his digestive system was in disarray.’

Aleks has experienced a lot of trauma from the conditions he was forced to live in, and as a result is suffering from PTSD.

‘Before he came to Lincolnshire Wildlife Park he spent 18 months at a wild animal rescue site in Ukraine – but his facilities weren’t the best as he was kept in a small concrete pen with straw,’ Steve said.

‘Aleks was so shellshocked by all of the bombing that every noise sent him into PTSD.

‘He was in such a nervous state and every little noise petrified him – including the wind, birds, and doors opening.’

Shortly after he arrived, the team noticed Aleks was infested with parasites – including internal ones – and much to their surprise, discovered he had the ‘biggest tapeworm they had ever seen’.

The parasite was handed over to be studied by Lincoln University where experts were fascinated by its scale.

Five months on, Aleck is moving in a positive direction. His biggest achievement to date is finally putting his paws on grass again.

‘He’s been through more than a tiger should have ever gone through but he’s come out of it,’ Steve added.

‘He’s still got a long way to go but just seeing the absolute joy in his face when he is playing with the ball or in the waterfall or in his own swimming pool – when he’s doing all of that you realise it’s all worth it.

‘We can see he is enjoying life now as his persona and expressions have changed for the better.’

The team estimates Aleks is between five and six years old. In the wild his life-span would be around nine to ten years but in captivity this can increase to sixteen.

Over time, the male tiger will be introduced to other tigers at the zoo and he will be matched up with a ‘friend’ – but not for breeding purposes.

You can help support Aleks’ care and the park’s work here.