Leon and Tigress have been together since being rescued from a zoo.
Cameron, a lion, and Zabu, a female white tiger, are an odd couple that cannot be parted. They reside at Big Cat Rescue and have a touching narrative.
They now dwell in a vast cage in Florida that is exclusively for them, but this was not always the case. Cameron and Zabu were born at a zoo in New England in 2000 with a single aim in mind.
However, the pair was rescued from the zoo in 2004. Cameron had dropped 200 pounds in that hellhole, but Big Cat Rescue transformed his life.
Zabu, a Siberian-Bengal hybrid, has a genetic abnormality created by mating that caused the teeth to protrude, leaving them exposed and defenseless.
Big Cat Rescue has changed the lives of these two creatures, who realize they must stay together.
The crew of Big Cat Rescue stated on their website:
“A big natural enclosure was built for Zabu and Cameron after they were rescued, since they are completely attached as a couple.”
Cameron had a vasectomy, but when Zabu became pregnant, he became unusually possessive of her and violent toward carers. Zabu was then neutered, which seemed to work for a few years before Cameron began to exhibit possessive and violent behavior once more.
“Because Cameron’s actions were fueled by testosterone, we simply had two choices: remove him from Zabu for good or castrate him.”
So they agreed to castrate Cameron in order for him to spend the remainder of his life at his beloved Zabu’s side, even if it meant losing his gorgeous mane. It doesn’t seem to bother anyone, and the lion’s mood has lightened tremendously, making it appear much more at ease on Florida’s sweltering summer days without the extra 15 pound weight around its neck.
Big Cat Rescue said:
“While Cameron attempts to sleep the most of the day (like lions do in the wild), Zabu is incredibly active and is always bugging him to play.”
Cameron is content with his sweetheart and enjoys kissing her, just as she likes him. Even after all this time, they are still extremely good friends and quite loving.