Motherly love: Lisha the Labrador plays surrogate to... tigers, cheetahs, porcupines, and even a pygmy hippo

Motherly love: Lisha the Labrador plays surrogate to... tigers, cheetahs, porcupines, and even a pygmy hippo

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 12:46 PM on 02nd February 2009

A Labrador who has played surrogate mother to more than 30 animals including a hippo and porcupine has her paws full caring for her latest charges.

The nine-year-old Labrador is busy helping raise three one-month old tiger cubs after their own mother rejected them.

The dog's amazing ability to make friends with any animal species is documented in these wonderful family snaps taken by her owners.


Born to be a mother: Lisha the labrador with her adopted cheetah cubs, Josh and Jordan


Lisha the Labrador, who has helped rear more than 30 animals, looks after her latest charges - three orphaned tiger cubs

Apart from her current job of caring for the motherless tiger cubs, Lisha, who is a resident of the Cango Wildlife Reserve in the Oudsthoorn area of South Africa, has also helped raise a porcupine and a hippo.

'We have had Lisha since she was a puppy,' says Nadine Hall, Lisha's owner.

'It is all about her conditioning and fear. We noticed early on that she didn't care if it was a cat or a porcupine.

'She would just walk up and lick the creature she was caring for. Although in the case of the porcupine that was more amusing.'


Lisha, picture with another one of her charges, an ophaned pygmy hippo

Mrs Hall and her husband Rob, who is also director of the Cango park, realised their dog had a unique 'gift' and started bringing orphaned animals home for her to raise.

'If Lisha sees an animal being brought back in a box, she automatically assumes that it is to be cared for,' Mrs Hall said.

'She cared for Spiky the porcupine and even a pair of kittens.'

And according to her owners, Lisha - who has never had her own litter - is a natural when it comes to looking after the tiger cubs.

'She licks them and cares for them, almost like a mother would,' Mrs Hall said.


Lisha, pictured with owners Nadine and Rob Hall, has 'a unique gift of helping raise abandoned animals'

'The cubs are called Fareeda, Sharhir and Cara and they are incredible beautiful, at the moment.

'Sharhir is the boy and their mother was unable to care for them because she rejected them.

'Lisha will spend only a small amount of time with them in case she gets too friendly. Remember these are tigers after all.'

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1133942/Motherly-love-Lisha-Labrador-plays-surrogate--tigers-cheetahs-porcupines-pygmy-hippo.html