A 350-pound tiger found caged in the garage of an abandoned house in Houston has found a new home at a wildlife sanctuary where the staff is said to be falling head over heels for the big cat.
The young tiger was discovered last week inside a 'rinky-dink' cage covered in layers of his own feces at the vacant home in southeast Houston by a woman who had gone inside to smoke marijuana.
The animal is now settling in at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, where he will be able to roam freely across three acres of grassy Texas plains, according to Noelle Almrud, the facility's director.
Describing the moment the tiger first stepped onto the grass at the sanctuary to ABC News, Almrud said: 'It was just amazing to see him walk out on grass and to see him explore and have that freedom of movement.
'It was just such a reward and fulfilling to us.'
Almrud said the tiger spends his time gleefully rolling in the grass and seems comfortable around his human handlers.
'He comes right up to the fence every time a staff member is present,' she said.
'He seems to happy and content. Our staff is just falling in love with him.'
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A 350-pound tiger found caged in the garage of an abandoned house in Houston has found a new home at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas
The young tiger was discovered last week inside a 'rinky-dink' cage covered in layers of his own feces at the foreclosed home in southeast Houston by a woman who had gone inside to smoke marijuana
He's now settling in nicely at Black Beauty Ranch, where he is free to roam across three acres of grassy Texas plains, according to Noelle Almrud, the facility's director
Authorities believe the tiger was being kept as a pet at the home (above) which was vacant. Several packages of meat were found with the animal
The tiger now spends his days rolling in the grass and seems comfortable around his new caretakers at Black Beauty Ranch (above), which is located about 85 miles southeast of Dallas
The sanctuary currently has temporary legal custody of the tiger, who appears to be about two years old. The staff will give him a name as soon as the Harris County District Attorney's Office grants full ownership, which Almrud hopes will happen in the next few weeks.
Black Beauty Ranch is home to two other tigers - Charlie, who was rescued from a breeder in 2016, and Alex, a former pet who arrived in 2014 - but the big cats will likely not be introduced because tigers are solitary in the wild.
Once full ownership is granted the tiger will be sedated for a full physical exam and castration, because 'any reputable facility is non-breeding', Almrud said.
She said the tiger did not appear to be malnourished when he arrived at Black Beauty Ranch but he is overweight, likely because of lack of exercise.
He's now eating a hearty combination of chicken, humanely raised non-processed beef and whole prey - compete with organs and bones.
Almrud said it appears that the tiger was on a chicken-only diet prior to coming to the sanctuary, which did not provide the complete nutrition exotic cats
