(NBC NEWS) — After their mother rejected them, three rare tiger cubs got a surrogate mom of a different stripe.
The one-month-old Malayan cubs are learning the ropes from an Australian Shepherd named Blakely.
The Cincinnati Zoo matched the 6-year-old canine with the newborn felines so he could teach them tiger etiquette.
One important lesson for the rambunctious trio is the difference between a play bite and one that means “watch out!”
Blakely is no stranger to surrogacy.
He’s also helped zoo handlers nurture cheetahs, skunks, and a warthog.
The cubs will move to the zoo’s cat canyon this summer.
Meanwhile, they’ll live with their canine chaperone, who they will definitely outgrow eventually.
Stay with WFLA News Channel 8’s Lila Gross for more trending and social media news.
