Zena was born on September 11, 2001 - the same day as the World Trade Center
attacks. She came from a private owner in Kansas, and was kept as their pet. She was never abused or
mistreated. In fact, her owner had kept her very healthy and well nourished. She appeared to be very happy and loved. Like
most people who acquire tigers for pets, her owner didn’t realize the size and strength a tiger cub would soon possess
as it grew older. Zena was kept in a children’s play yard with a swing set, plastic pool and smaller enclosure
for feeding. She was only being contained by a 4 foot tall fence. As she got older, Zena’s natural instincts
were starting to mature. She was beginning to jump over the fence and stalk her owner’s sheep and prized horses.One day, her owner had taken her into
town in the cab of her truck, and she was spotted by the local sheriff. Fearing that they would be forced to move, they
panicked. They called Forever Wild and said that if we didn’t pick her up before the weekend, they were going to
shoot her. So, we packed up and headed out to Kansas. Zena arrived at her new home just in time to celebrate her first birthday. She
was a little nervous around the other animals, at first. But she quickly settled down and formed a strong bond with one
of the owners, Chemaine. Like most of our tigers, she is a Bengal/Siberian mix, but her Siberian traits really stand
out. She has a husky build and long fluffy hair. Zena is a very well tempered cat, and she enjoys walking around
our property on her leash.
