Interaction - Tigers are known as the best swimmers of all the big cats with modified webbing between their toes to make their feet more like flippersHand-reared tigers at animal park in US get their exercise in a special pool with humans
MIAMI (USA): An animal park has found a unique way to develop bonds between humans and tigers. Traditionally, trainers have struggled to build an attachment with tigers because of the sheer bulk of the animals. But the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or TIGER, claims to have overcome the problem by encouraging both tigers and humans to swim together in a specially adapted pool.
Although a number of wildlife parks have encouraged the animals to swim for exercise, the routine has usually consisted of little more than trainers throwing lumps of meat into the water for the tigers to collect.
'Not dangerous'
Bhagavan Antle, director of the centre, said he wanted to give the 90 kg, two metre long creatures an opportunity to exercise properly without giving them meat. Antle has about 200 animals at the TIGER park. The hand-reared tigers are introduced to the water a few months after birth and the trainers then give one-on-one tuition to each of the animals. But despite the apparent danger, he said his trainers are never at risk. "We found that in the water people and tigers were on a more equal footing when the tiger was swimming around on top of the person. As they were floating, we could manipulate them more easily because they couldn't stand up on their back legs."
