Cane and Atilla’s stories are stitched together by the same grim reality: a world where tigers are bred, bought, and bartered like commodities. Yet against all odds, both found their way to sanctuary—a place where, for the first time, they could simply exist.

 

Cane’s life began like so many others, in the dark heart of South Africa’s captive breeding industry. Born on a high-volume breeding farm—a "sausage machine" pumping out cubs for profit—her future was never her own. Whether destined for canned hunting, sold to a private collector, or sent to a roadside zoo, Cane was just another product in a ruthless supply chain that treats tigers as nothing more than inventory.

 

Amid a larger investigation into the hunting industry, an international organization took notice of her. For over a year, they followed the paper trail, documented her conditions, and built a case to intervene. Eventually, their persistence paid off. Cane was legally removed from her former life and brought to us—a rare victory in an industry where too many big cats simply disappear.

 

Atilla, on the other hand, lived much closer to the chaos of human civilization. He had been purchased as a pet, confined to an unsafe, makeshift enclosure in a residential area —an environment entirely unfit for a growing apex predator. The risks were staggering: to himself, to the people around him, and to the very idea of responsible wildlife care.

 

His presence didn’t go unnoticed. When photos and stories began circulating, they drew the attention of the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA). Acting swiftly, they intervened and seized Atilla, placing him in our care before tragedy could strike