When Charlota was a tiny cub, she was taken away from her mother and sold to a private keeper in the Czech Republic. She was hand raised and treated like a pet. The young big cat grew up in a completely species-inappropriate environment where she did not experience what it feels like to live the life of a tiger for the first year of her life.

Her rare look is not uncommon. It is the sad reality of breeding big cats for commercial and entertainment purposes. Unfortunately, the common practice of breeders to produce tigers and lions with a white coat is inbreeding. For a big cat to have a white coat, both parents need to have the rare feature. Often animals that are related are used for breeding – which often results in serious health issues. Her crossed eyes serve as a poignant reminder of the price she paid for human greed.

After her owner posted videos of Charlota on Social Media, the authorities confiscated her and asked us to take her into our care. Right now, Charlota is temporarily living in a zoo, but she is in urgent need of a species-appropriate forever home.

After months of preparation, Charlota is now ready to be transported to TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary in Germany – to finally start all over again and live the life she deserves. Stay tuned for updates of her life in Germany!

Since her rescue at the end of July this year, Charlota has settled in remarkably well. She approaches her medical training with boundless enthusiasm and eagerness, making remarkable progress in such a short time!

She has now been relocated to a larger enclosure featuring a brand-new tiger climbing tower! Of course, adventurous Charlota wasted no time in reaching the highest platform. And she loves lurking behind the bamboo, then jumping out to frolic.

Currently, she resides out of sight from her initial neighbour, Cara, who needed some time to adjust. Her new neighbour is tiger Sahib, and though he may seem a bit grumpy at the moment, we are confident that they will become fast friends in no time!

Tigress Charlota continues to flourish. Since her arrival at TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary, the white tigress has been making great progress.

Recently she received some Valentine’s Day enrichment, which was sprinkled with some of her favourite scents, so she spent a lot of time playing and exploring the creation.

Check out the photos below to see how much fun she's been having!