The tiger who came to tea… a bit too often! Fat cat is put on a diet after it bulged to 440lb while kept by animal traffickers

A pot-bellied tiger weighing 31.5kg has been put on a strict diet after being rescued from a small cage in Vietnam.

The real ‘Tiger Who Came to Tea’ was found by police during a raid on a wildlife trafficking ring.

After the suspects were arrested, Vietnamese police then checked several animals locked in cages.

They noticed a chubby tiger who was apparently having trouble getting up.

Police realized the animal needed specialist help and contacted members of the Ninh Binh Bear Sanctuary in Ninh Binh, Vietnam.

The group collaborates with the international animal welfare organization Four Paws.

Police noticed that the pot-bellied tiger, who was locked in a small cage, was having difficulty getting up due to his weight, and contacted an animal shelter.

Officials were stunned to learn the tiger weighed 31.5 stone, but volunteers caring for the big cat said they had put the animal on a strict diet.

A team of veterinarians drove more than six hours to Vietnam’s Phu Tho province, where the tiger was found by police on May 11.

Officials were stunned to learn the big cat weighed around 31.5 stone. Tigers usually weigh between 10 stone and 26 stone.

On the long journey back to Ninh Binh, vets had to stop regularly to check on the tiger and give it water due to the high temperatures.

Volunteers will now put the tiger on a strict diet so that it can lose its excess weight.

A spokesman for the sanctuary said: ‘The illegal trade in tigers continues, driven by demand for tiger bone glue, body parts for traditional medicine and ornamental purposes.

‘This endangers the survival of the species and causes serious suffering for these beautiful creatures.

“We are committed to fighting this cruel trade and advocating for the protection and welfare of tigers.

“According to the Forest Conservation Department, about 388 tigers are kept in zoos, safaris and privately owned properties.”

This is just one of the latest discoveries of captive wild animals for trade in Asia. In December, a starving tiger, reduced to skin and bones, was rescued from a Thai farm.

The emaciated female tiger Salamas found it difficult to stand or walk after losing so much weight in a cage in a dilapidated facility in Mukdahan, northern Thailand.

Harrowing photos show Salamas with chunks of fur missing from her skeleton as she lies exhausted and emaciated on the dirty concrete.

The emaciated female tiger Salamas was found in December struggling to stand or walk after losing so much weight in a cage in a run-down facility in Mukdahan, northern Thailand.

Harrowing photos show Salamas with chunks of fur missing from her skeleton as she lies exhausted and emaciated on the dirty concrete

Salamas is one of 53 tigers and leopards rescued from breeding who are facing bankruptcy and prosecution for alleged illegal wildlife trade by veterinarians and experts from the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT).

Salamas was one of 53 tigers and leopards rescued from the farm that went bankrupt and prosecuted for alleged illegal wildlife trade by veterinarians and experts from the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT).

The other rescued animals included a timid female tiger named ‘A-1’ and a male tiger named ‘Rambo’, 20 years old, who had breathing problems.

The animals were locked up in cramped and dirty enclosures their entire lives.

Officials said a total of 35 tigers and 18 leopards have been rescued from the farm.

Twelve elderly tigers and three sick leopards were the first to be rescued. They were anesthetized and underwent health checks before being loaded into cages into wildlife ambulances.

The rest – another 23 tigers and 15 leopards – will be removed in the coming days.