Tiger Tajmir, who was kept in terrible conditions in the Czech Republic, has been rescued and relocated to a safe home in the Netherlands.
The 12-year-old male tiger had been illegally kept by a private owner. The owner left him behind when his property was seized due to financial troubles.
In March 2025, Czech authorities found Tajmir in a small, dirty enclosure without shelter from the weather. He was thin, sick, and injured. The owner had completely abandoned him.
After being temporarily placed at Zoo Liberec for initial medical treatment and recovery, Tajmir was transported on Tuesday to the Felida Big Cat Sanctuary in the Netherlands.
The sanctuary is run by the international animal welfare group Four Paws, which specialises in rescuing animals from poor living conditions.
“Tajmir was very tired after the long journey, but we are pleased to see he’s already beginning to settle in. He has a healthy appetite and curiously inspected his new indoor enclosure right after his release,” Juno van Zon, Chief Animal Caretaker at Felida, said.
Once Tajmir is fully checked and ready, he will be introduced to an outdoor area. There he has space to swim and rest.
Tajmir’s story shows the serious problem of private big cat ownership in Europe. Despite laws protecting wild tigers, many countries still allow captive-bred tigers to be owned and sold.
On the black market, adult tigers can be sold for thousands of euros. Four Paws is calling for a global ban on the private keeping and trade of big cats.
The organisation urges governments to close legal loopholes, strengthen enforcement, and rehome big cats kept in poor conditions.
