Just like her sister Charlota, white tiger Ramba was a victim of the #RuthlessTrade. As a cub, she was taken away from her mother and sold to a private keeper in the Czech Republic, where, she was hand raised and treated like a pet by her owner. The young big cat grew up in a completely species-inappropriate environment, without the necessary support from her mother, and professional veterinary care.

According to the Czech authorities, her previous owner obtained the tigress without proof of the legal origin of the animal. In addition, the owner did not have a veterinary permit for keeping Ramba, as he was unable to meet the minimum requirements for keeping the animal set out in the Czech Veterinary Law.

For these reasons, the Czech Ministry of Environment identified Ramba’s keeping as illegal and ordered her confiscation. Following that, FOUR PAWS was asked to help with rehoming Ramba to a place that can best care for her species-specific needs. In order to support the Czech authorities with legal enforcement, but also because her sister Charlota already lives in our care. FOUR PAWS agreed to provide a species-appropriate new life for the young tigress at its TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary in Germany.

After months of preparation, Ramba was finally rescued by the Czech authorities on 5th December 2023. FOUR PAWS transferred the tiger cub from the Czech Republic to her new home at TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary where she arrived safely that evening. Ramba will now have all the time she needs to adapt to her new home under the care of trained staff.

Like her sister Charlota, Ramba has a white coat which is a result of inbreeding. For a big cat to have a white coat, both parents need to carry the rare recessive gene. Often animals that are related are used for breeding of these white cubs, which results in inbreeding that can lead to serious health issues. Due to this inbreeding, Ramba may suffer from life-long health issues and/or developmental problems. At TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary, a thorough health examination will be done soon to fully assess her health status. 

Thousands of big cats like Ramba fall victim to the illegal trade in Europe every year. FOUR PAWS calls on all EU Member States to implement the EU Tiger Guidance to prevent the suffering and exploitation of more tigers.

The young tigress was initially very shy and needed a lot of time to adjust to her new surroundings and the people around her. However, thanks to the empathy and patience of our experienced animal care team, Ramba was able to build trust and develop into a curious and confident tigress. 

She now enjoys exploring her spacious enclosure, feeling the grass beneath her paws, hiding in the bamboo and climbing tower, playing with enrichment toys, and snoozing in the warm spring sun. We are delighted to see Ramba so relaxed and content, and we are excited to watch her flourish more and more each day.