Rescued Tigers Roam at Former U.S. Base in Germany

Animal welfare charity Tierart — "Animal Species" — recently opened a 34-acre state-of-the-art big-cat sanctuary, equipped with swimming pools, wooden "chill-out lounges" and rubber-ball entertainment for the stressed-out animals. The facility in Massweiler, near the French border, is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

A former maintenance shed for military vehicles was renovated and turned into an indoor compound for the tigers. Their 16,000-square-foot outdoor enclosures are partly built above bunkers originally installed by the Nazis and later used by the U.S. army signal corps until they were vacated as part of the American military's drawdown in Europe.

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