Chimpanzee bottle feeds tiger cubs

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VIDEO, PHOTOS: Chimpanzee bottle feeds tiger cubs

3News NZ

Dodo feeds milk to one of the tiger cubs at Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Samut Prakan province (Reuters)

Dodo feeds milk to one of the tiger cubs at Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Samut Prakan province (Reuters)

A male chimpanzee named Dodo has been trained to feed tiger cubs out of a bottle.

He showed Reuters TV his skills over the weekend at the Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, about 40km south-east of Bangkok in Thailand.

Dodo has been feeding the cubs, aged between three weeks to five months, every day for more than a year.

Dodo's trainers say they wanted to challenge the chimp and since he showed no fear of the tiger cubs, they worked with him until he picked up the habit.

Trainers say Dodo learned how to feed the cubs in no time. Although, they say, sometimes he ignores his feeding tasks and just wants to play.

"It's not difficult as he knows how to hold the bottle. I just teach him a little bit to hold it and stay with the cubs," said 35-year-old Sirinaj who has been working at the zoo for 20 years.

Zoo workers say Dodo and the cubs attract many tourists who love taking pictures.

Dodo and the cubs, who are about the same size, enjoy a good romp and wrestle. But soon the cubs will outgrow Dodo and will be moved to an area more suited to their size.

3 News / Reuters

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Comments

5/08/2011 1:24:39 a.m.

CC wrote:

James is right..this looks funny but in fact very sad..The chimpansee is a baby/child too. Go to those Thai tiger-farms..you see lonely bottlefeed cubs..with their nails torn out..The tigermother gets little pigs to drink her milk. This all to amuse people (or other reasons why thy breed tigers in captivity)...indeed very very sad.

2/08/2011 4:43:54 p.m.

Ricsta wrote:

Why do you think that, James?

1/08/2011 3:29:24 p.m.

James wrote:

This is sick.