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May 29, 2007
Now This Is A Great White
I think I'd be very nervous of their water park
Most cats do not like getting wet - as anyone who has tried to bathe a moggie will know.But as these pictures show, there's always the exception to the rule. For the cat in question is a large male white Bengal tiger called Odin.
Six years old, and at the prime of his life, Odin lives at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Zoo in Vallejo, near San Francisco. He is about 10ft long from nose to tail, and is an excellent swimmer.
Yikes!
Posted by Mr. Bingley at May 29, 2007 11:49 AM
Comments
Oh thats a GREAT picture! I love it!
Posted by: Sharon Ferguson at May 29, 2007 12:48 PM
Look at the size of those paws...
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at May 29, 2007 12:59 PM
Tigers in general love to swim. I saw footage once of a tiger taking a flying dive out of the jungle into a river to go after a fishing boat. The fishermen hauled ass out of there. The tiger in question had nailed a few fishermen over the previous weeks.
The same show described a way to thwart them. Seems tigers like to approach their prey from the rear, so people walking throughh the jungle started wearing realistic human face masks on the back of their head. Attacks went way down.
As of this morning, my neighbor's orange tabby has taken to lying in the bird bath. Maybe he's taking a passage from this tiger's book.
Posted by: John at May 29, 2007 01:41 PM
Mr. Bingly - I just love the "grrrwl!" expression on his face!
Posted by: Sharon Ferguson at May 29, 2007 01:53 PM
The face in the photos really is amazing, isn't it Sharon? My, what big teeth you have Grandma.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at May 29, 2007 02:07 PM
Hmmmm.
1. The tiger's expression is like that because he's trying to close off his nose.
2. If you want a cat that loves to swim get a Manx.
Only problem is that they don't really recognize limits on when and where they're supposed, or not supposed, to swim.
A bucket of water to wash the floor ... swimming pool.
A bathtub filling for a bath ... swimming pool.
An upraised toilet lid ... a jacuzzi.
And you can forget all that advice about using a water pistol to train your cat. :):)
Posted by: memomachine at May 29, 2007 02:29 PM
Ah, the full rich texture of nature in all it's grandeur... HEY WAIT! AHHHHH!
"July 31, 1998 Vallejo, CA: A 300-pound Bengal tiger named Kuma turned on Jaunell Waldo when she posed for a photo op with the tiger at Marine World. "He bit through my head, damaged my vertebra and my ear canal," recalls Waldo, "The bottom third of my face was on my chest. They had to sew all of that back." She says trainers told her they'd done more than 100 sessions with members of the public. For $250, visitors were taken to a backstage area. "But it's a cat, and when they play, they play to kill. I closed down my chin to protect my neck, and that's why he got my face" said Juanell. Trainer Chad Zierenberg forced his way between Waldo and the tiger and was clawed on the back. The trainers were unable to get Kuma to respond to commands until someone rushed in and sprayed a fire extinguisher."
Posted by: mojo at May 29, 2007 03:13 PM
Man that is gorgeous picture! What a beautiful creature.
Posted by: Gunslinger at May 29, 2007 04:08 PM
It looks like a kabuki mask.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at May 29, 2007 04:24 PM
Memo - I thought the tiger's expression was like that because he's ticked at the keepers always hucking his dinner in the swimming pool. "One of these days one of those bastards will fall in here, and then we'll see some fishing!"
Posted by: Nightfly at May 29, 2007 05:52 PM
with the tiger at Marine World
Well, that's the problem right there. She should have posed with a kitty at 'P'-word World.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at May 29, 2007 06:32 PM