Vet, hospital team up to save cub

ST. PETERSBURG - A tiger cub may find a new lease on life at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

"Fabian" is one of two cubs born on Easter Sunday at a wildlife sanctuary in Seminole. He's now been taken by Safety Harbor veterinarian Dr. Don Woodman.

The cub's parents never appeared to be more than just friends.

"They are roughly 19 years of age and they've been housed together for 14 years, is my understanding, and never shown any real inclination to breed. Easter Sunday, I got a phone call -- there was a surprise," Dr. Woodman told FOX 13.

Both of the baby tigers were born with a cleft palate. Essentially, there's no roof to their mouths.

Several veterinary specialists recommended euthanizing the cubs -- a step Dr. Woodman wasn't willing to take.

"I was born with a cleft palate and I just didn't have it in me to euthanize an animal simply because they were born with a severe cleft palate," he explained.

So Dr. Woodman turned to All Children's Hospital and pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Gallant, who was willing to perform corrective surgery. Unfortunately, the second cub did not survive, but Fabian will undergo surgery in about two months.

Dr. Woodman and his wife are caring for the cub both at his animal hospital and at home. Fabian has to be fed with a squeeze bottle and a feeding tube because he's unable to nurse as he would in the wild.

The Woodmans are optimistic, saying Fabian is a fighter.