Tiger bred to be ­slaughtered for trophy hunters saved thanks in daring mission

14 February 2023 , 00:01

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Sally was separated from her mother when she was just days old and bottle-fed by humans to tame her for a life of captivity

A tiger bred to be ­slaughtered for sick trophy hunters has been saved thanks to a daring mission.

Sally was separated from her mother when she was just days old and bottle-fed by humans to tame her for a life of captivity.

The two-year-old Bengal Tiger had been bred for the bullet, part of what experts say are “cub mills” on big cat factory farms.

But thanks to a rescue mission for the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting she now lives protected in a sanctuary. Before the raid, investigators ­infiltrated South African businesses that breed tigers, lions, leopards and even jaguars.

Sally’s story is being released as MPs prepare to vote on a bill on March 17 that would stop UK hunters from bringing home trophies of animals they shoot.

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The two-year-old Bengal Tiger had been bred for the bullet, part of what experts say are “cub mills” on big cat factory farms

Actress Joanna Lumley, who backs the Mirror’s campaign to ban imports, urged MPs to vote.

She said: “Tiger cubs like Sally are being ripped away from their mothers so they can be shot in an enclosure. This is an utterly cruel industry.” Founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, Eduardo Goncalves, said: “The mewling of tiny, terrified cubs in their cages is a sound that will haunt us forever.”

He urged “heroic Mirror readers” to continue their support by contacting their MP.

“The trophy hunting lobby is doing everything they can to block the bill. We cannot let these monsters win,” he said.

• Go to www.SavingSally.org

Nada Farhoud