How to teach a big cat to doggy paddle

**Honey** · January 29th, 2008, 08:56 PM

After a hard day's lolling around, these animals like nothing more than a quick dip.

The water-loving creatures all live at a special park for endangered species, where they have been taught to swim by Dr Bhagavan Antle, who has cared for them for 25 years. Scroll down for more...

King of the jungle: A young lion learns how to swim in the pool

Let's wrap it up now: Suryl dries himself off after his morning dip at TIGERS

He says: "I started swimming with tigers because I discovered it enriches their lives.
"We found we could manipulate them more easily in the water.
"Then we tried swimming with other animals, and the orangutans in particular loved it." Scroll down for more...

Keeping afloat: Suryl holds on tight as he gets a piggyback from an employee

Really love those tiger feet: This tiger cub likes to get his paws wet too

Another creature that adores the water at the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or TIGER, in Miami, Florida, is the aquatic tapir, from South America, which can walk along the bottom or swim on the top. "This little one has been swimming since he was the size of a shoe box, and both his parents swim too," said Dr Antle.

Fancy seeing you here: A tapir meets baby orangutan Suryl, who loves the water but is wearing a life jacket because he doesn't like getting his head wet

Lion by the pool: How to teach a big cat to doggy paddle | the Daily Mail