Tiger cubs

close bonds if they’ve grown up together, especially with Solo helping raise them.

“But with the two older tigers also at Seaview, it is unusual how well they respond to Solo – they don’t use their size and strength to over-power him.

“They don’t ever fight. Solo will sometimes get too playful for them, but they will never fight,” she said.

When The Herald was at the park, the two smaller cubs and Solo chased each other around the trees and bushes playing hide-and-seek.

Solo also seemed more enthusiastic about playing with the older tigers because they could tackle each other harder when play-fighting.

“He has a closer bond with the older ones because they’ve been together for longer.

“And when they’re at the dam the older ones can swim, so they play and splash each other with the water more comfortably. The little ones can’t swim yet,” she said.

Solo also took care of the other two tigers, who are now seven months old, when they arrived at the park as cubs.

However, Gombert said: “There’s obviously a fear that the tigers will one day hurt Solo because the interaction will grow as the tigers grow.

“We will never put the dog in any kind of danger, but the interaction can’t be stopped between the fences.”