ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST : Tiger Family Brought From Ireland Mends

A starved and abused family of Siberian tigers, brought from Ireland in December for rehabilitation at the Wildlife Waystation animal refuge in Angeles National Forest, have made a full recovery and will be released from quarantine into a new enclosure next Wednesday, way station officials said.

The female adult tiger began nursing her two cubs several weeks ago, and the male adult has improved dramatically since arriving Dec. 11, said way station founder Martine Colette.

The tigers were found at a farm in Ireland by Irish animal regulatory officials in December. Purchased from a circus in England by an individual who improperly cared for them, the tiger family originally included five cats, but one died before officials contacted the way station.

Animal welfare authorities first tried to place the severely malnourished tigers in zoos in Europe, but were unsuccessful.

When the tigers arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, Colette met them and feared the worst for the 7-year-old male, Batak, who was less than half his normal weight and appeared to be suffering from a stomach tumor. Way station veterinarians later examined Batak and determined the tumor was benign.

On Wednesday, Colette and her staff will move the furry foursome from their current quarters in the way station’s quarantine area to a new 10,000-square-foot enclosure on a hill overlooking the main animal compound. The enclosure was built using donations from a way station sponsor who specified that the money could be spent only on new housing for tigers.

“We had literally just finished building the enclosure and pouring the concrete for the tiger pool when we heard these tigers in Ireland needed a home,” said Diana Wenners, Colette’s assistant. “It’s amazing how it worked out.”

The mother and the two cubs will enter the enclosure first, transported in crates carried by forklifts. The father will be introduced to the enclosure later in the day.

At the way station, the tigers have become part of one of the region’s most remarkable and diverse collection of big cats. Cougars, bobcats, jaguars, panthers, tigers, lions and a ligress--a lion crossbred with a tiger--are among the way station’s wards.