Dog becomes mother to Bengal tigers in Germany

Berlin: A dog in northern Germany is once again taking on the role of surrogate parent to a big cat, this time helping rear a pair of rejected Bengal tiger cubs.

Leon, a six-year old pointer mix, is helping his owner, zoo keeper Jeannette Wurms, raise one-month old Peach and Pearl at home after the cubs were rejected by their mother at Safaripark Stukenbrock near the town of Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock.

“What’s exceptional about (Leon) is that he is a male with such motherly instincts which are very marked,” Wurms, who hand feeds the cubs, said on Monday.

“He also acts as their entertainer and that’s certainly exceptional.” Wurms said Leon previously helped raise a white lion in 2012.

The unusual adoption will not last long, though, with Wurms warning that the tigers can react with unexpected violence when they grow older.

Click below to watch