2 Siberian tigers show 'no signs of abuse' as they settle into Cherry Brook Zoo

The Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John has two new Siberian tigers, one of which was at the centre of an animal cruelty scandal in Ontario.

The three-year-old male tiger, Uno, was allegedly whipped repeatedly by his former owner Michael Hackenberger at the now-closed Bowmanville Zoo, east of Toronto.

But Cherry Brook Zoo's executive director MarthaMcDevittdoes not believe the Uno or his two-year-old sister Luna were abused.

"Our job is to observe animal behaviour and if there was signs of abuse, they would show that, and they're not," she said.

• Cherry Brook Zoo pulls through 'critical' winter
• Bowmanville Zoo owner faces animal cruelty charges

"They don't respond to human contact as if they've been abused.They are very affectionate," and already endearing themselves to staff and visitors alike, said McDevitt.

"They chuff, which is a sound of you know, greeting or a friendly sort of encounter, and they've constantly chuffing," she said. "So it's really cool 'cause they're saying, 'Hi' to everybody that comes in."

"They're very well-tempered and very good-natured cats, which is really good for us."

The charges stemmed from a video posted by theU.S.-based animal rights groupPETAthat appearedto show Hackenbergerswearing at and whipping Unowhen he didn'tcomply with the commands of a trainer.

In aresponse video posted online,Hackenbergersaidhe whipped the tiger only twice and that the subsequent lashes were tothe ground.

Thechargesagainst him were stayed in March 2017 after he suffered a stroke and was deemed "medically unfit" to stand trial.

Cherry Brook Zoo also got twoAfricans lionsfrom Bowmanville last fall.

Settling in

"It was interesting seeing the difference between the lions coming in and the tigers coming in," said McDevitt, noting every type of cat has a different temperament.

"The lions were, basically they bulldozed out into their enclosure and starting playing immediately. And you know were tussling and that sort of thing."

The tigers were much more cautious, she said.

"It's interesting hearing their [former] handlers' perspective on their personalities and how they know their cats very well. They called it, they were like, 'Yep, the male is gonna be fine, he's going to settle in,' which he did."

Luna took more time checking out her new environment, but "took the cue from her brother and was like, 'OK, we're OK.' So she's settled in now."

'Dream come true'

For McDevitt, who loves tigers, it'sa "personal dream come true" to have the animals. She credits the support of six local businesses with helping the beleaguered zoo to make the "exciting" acquisition.

Cherry Brook's funding from the city was reduced in 2017 from $50,000 to $10,000, which was enough to cover theproperty tax bill but did not help withany operating costs.

But the zoo has seen a turn inits fortunes since February, when the 100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John donated $21,500, said McDevitt.The gift triggered a boost in fundraising, with an additional $17,500 coming in from various groups.

"It's been a roller coaster, but you know, my mindset, obviously, as the director making these decisions, has to be on a positive future," she said.

"I can't have a defeated mindset. We can't say, 'Oh we're going to close.' We have to think, we're here, this is important."