There is something about a baby that gets a mothering response from people. And when a baby is in distress, a mom's instinct is to rush over and help the little one.

Meet Anjana, a chimp who lives at TIGERS (The Institute of Greatly Endangered Species)in South Carolina.

Anjana stepped in to help zookeeper China York care for a pair of rare white tiger cubs after their mother became spooked and dangerous following hurricane Hanna's visit to the area.

This is a role Anjana knows well. She's been nurturing and fostering many of the Institutes's babies as China's unofficial 'assistant'.

TIGERS founder Dr Bhagavan Antle said: "Anjana has joined China in caring for baby animals and she helps China raise them."

"She has acted as a surrogate mother to leopards, lions and orangutans and has done the same with these baby white tigers."

"She gives them a bottle and lies with them - she is a great assistant."

TIGERS has bred and reared many rare and talented animals. This year they unveiled their latest "liger" cub - bred from a lion father and a tiger mother.

The institute has 45 big cats, including white-and-red-striped golden tabby tigers - one of the rarest big cat breeds.

There are also bears, other primates and an African elephant.

Dr Antle concludes: "People think it is dangerous to get so close to wild animals but the handlers have been with them since they were cubs and have developed a special friendship based on love and respect."

To read more about the work TIGER does, visit their website at: http://www.tigerfriends.com/



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