The young Indian tigress Antonia Rambo, taken from the MMA wrestler Karl Vémola by the Ministry of the Environment (MŽP) at the beginning of December, has had all her claws on her front legs surgically removed – according to Vémola, because she had inflammation in her claws and that’s why they had to be removed. But the state veterinary administration will now check whether there was a violation of the law on the protection of animals against cruelty.
The most common method of removing claws is called onychectomy, in which the claw is removed along with the bone of the last joint of the finger either with a scalpel or with a laser. This procedure is usually carried out in contact farms to reduce the danger of the animal. According to the MoE, removing the claws will cause irreversible mutilation and the animal cannot show natural behavior because of this. “For example, they are not able to climb trees, defend themselves from an attack by another animal, or mark their territory by scratching. There is also a disturbance of the animal’s balance and a higher susceptibility to health problems, such as back pain,” explains the Ministry of Agriculture on its website.
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The director of the ZOO Olomouc, Radomír Habáň, holds the same position. “When a similar act is committed on a big feline, it is irreversibly stigmatized, it loses part of its nature,” said Habáň. If, according to Habána, the removal of claws is done in order to mitigate the impact of the owner’s contact with the beast, who makes a “plush toy” out of the wild animal, then the human interest is prioritized over the animal interest. “At the same time, the owner is committing a violation of the law on the protection of animals against cruelty,” added director Habáň in a press release.
This is how Karlos Vémola commented on the situation surrounding the tigress on his Instagram account:
Ramba joins Charlotte
The wrestler Vémola keeps several types of exotic animals in his Vémoland, including a shark, crocodiles or a quartet of felines, among which was Antonie Rambo. However, he did not have documents about the origin of the female white tiger, thus breaking the law. The Czech Environmental Inspectorate therefore decided to confiscate the tigress and transport her to the Tierart rescue center in Germany, which specializes in big cats taken from illegal breeding or unsuitable conditions. Here, Ramba will meet, among other things, another white tigress, Charlotte, who was transferred here in the summer of 2023.
You can see how Charlotte the tigress is doing at the Tierart rescue center in Germany here:
White tigers are a bred form of the Indian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and are therefore not a separate species. The white coloring of the coat is a sign of partial albinism, which is caused by a lack of dye. White tigers differ from true albinos in the blue color of their eyes. They are rare in nature, one out of approximately 10,000 young are born as white.
Cold-loving animals will head to ZOO Tábor
The Tierart rescue center in Germany, near the border with France, is owned by the worldwide animal protection organization Four Paws. Animals seized in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) go here. The main purpose of the agreement is to combat uncontrolled trade in endangered species of animals and plants.
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In the Czech Republic, a CITES rescue center for cold-loving animals is being established in the Tábor Zoo in these months. “We are building two generous paddocks according to the latest trends with stainless steel mesh. It will include a swimming pond, a large shelter, a viewing deck, landscaping with a rampart serving as another viewing area, and separate feeding areas. The Ussuri tiger, the American cougar, the snow leopard and all kinds of lynxes and wolves can find temporary asylum here. There can be up to four animals in each enclosure, so the total capacity will be eight animals. But it will depend on their size and whether they are used to living together,” Tábor ZOO director Evžen Korec told Prima ZOOM.
The female Indian tiger Atonie Rambo, taken from wrestler Karlos Vémol by the Ministry of the Environment at the beginning of December, would not have found refuge here even if the enclosures had already been completed. “The Indian tiger is not a cold-loving animal, it comes from tropical areas and thus needs a heated quarters,” explained Korec.
Source: Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic, ČTK
