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CNN Live At Daybreak

Rocky the Tiger Cub Gets New Mom

Aired July 06, 2001 - 08:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: So Rocky is a Siberian tiger cub who lives in New Jersey, far from his native habitat.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: And Rocky has been abandoned by his mom, but he is making the most of the situation.

And so is Jeanne Moos -- "Making the Moost of it."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You'd feel like hitting the bottle too if your mom shunned you.

KAREN YUCHINSKI, SIX FLAGS WILD SAFARI: Here we go. You got it.

MOOS: Three-month-old Rocky lives at the Six Flags Wild Safari in New Jersey, one of those drive-through animal parks where your car can end up festooned with baboons perched on your mirror chewing gum. But Rocky had a problem that must have left him feeling like Babe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BABE")

BABE: I want my mom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: In this case, Rocky's mom gave birth, then left her cub on the concrete floor.

YUCHINSKI: She just went through that door and she didn't look behind her.

MOOS: Meet Rocky's new mom.

YUCHINSKI: He thinks I'm mom. But what's a cat's concept of mom -- you know, milk, right?

MOOS: Actually, a combination of milk and liquefied meat.

The park's education coordinator, Karen Yuchinski, bottle fed Rocky every four hours. At least she didn't have to worry about diapers.

YUCHINSKI: And at home, he's paper-trained. MOOS: During the day, Karen brings him back to the park. Where else would Rocky get to socialize with a llama?

In the movies, it's usually the animals who end up raising orphaned humans, from "Tarzan" to "The Jungle Book." Humans likewise make goo-goo eyes at Rocky.

Do you cuddle?

YUCHINSKI: Yes. Yes, we do.

MOOS: Rocky acts like a kid.

YUCHINSKI: I know. I know. I know.

MOOS: He gets into mischief.

He's untying your shoes.

YUCHINSKI: That's fine.

MOOS: We learned that tiger baby teeth are sharp.

YUCHINSKI: And I love her to death. She is like the best.

MOOS: Ah! All that action. Whoa!

But just as in "The Jungle Book"...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE JUNGLE BOOK")

BAGHEERA: Someday he would have to go back to his own kind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Rocky will be gradually introduced to his older siblings. Lefty and Righty are 3-years-old. Rocky is not expected to get back with his mom, though both mom and dad...

YUCHINSKI: Good boy, good boy.

MOOS: ... are still here.

YUCHINSKI: Ah, oh, look out tiger kill. This is his favorite toy. This is a striped orange animal. He had a recognition with this immediately.

MOOS: Doesn't Rocky realize you don't have stripes?

YUCHINSKI: Rocky realizes that I'm the one with the food.

MOOS: Here kitty, kitty, kitty.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, Jackson Township, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MCEDWARDS: Well, for an instant replay of this story, visit our Web site. The address is CNN.com/Moos. And you can send her an e- mail if you like. So just point and click to CNN.com.

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