By Wendy Anders

The recent birth of four Bengal tigers in El Salvador’s Fundación Refugio Salvaje (Wild animal refugee foundation, FURESA) made headlines in Asia, but wild-animal-loving readers in Costa Rica might take interest in the cubs from a different angle.

The Asian tiger is endangered with only an estimated 2,500 living in the wild, mainly in India, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Many tiger breeding programs exist at zoos and parks throughout the world. But how many of these places let visitors cuddle with them? Well, El Salvador may be one of the exceptions.

The cubs were born in Jayaque, El Salvador in mid-December as part of the animal park’s endangered species reproduction program, the second litter to the same adult pair, said FURESA officials.

Their Facebook page shows visitors snuggling with the cubs and posing for photos, which are advertized as costing $5.00. The photo ops with the Begal babies began February 1. The site said didn’t indicate for how long visitors would be able to have such close contact.

The park, located about 30 minutes southeast of the country’s capital of San Salvador offers excursions for schools, businesses and individual visitors. They also offer camping on platforms.

FURESA’s stated aims on their website are “to rescue and care for endangered wild animals and educate the local and international public about the importance of their conservation and of their ecosystems.”

The private non-profit refuge has 125 animals on a 1.6 sq km site representing 31 species, including lions, leopards, jaguars, hippopotamuses and pumas, according to their website.

Meanwwhile, TripAdvisor, the leading Internet travel information and booking site, last October instated an animal welfare policy that prohibits making reservations through their site for attractions such as Furesa that allow contact between visitors and wild animals.