After Rough Life in ABQ War Zone, "Duke" the Bengal Tiger Finds Better Life in Colorado

By: ABQ RAW staff

POSTED: 02/16/2023 at 3:30PM

Albuquerque - On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at approximately 2:15 p.m., a ShotSpotter activation alerted Albuquerque Police Officers to shots being fired at 304 Indiana Street S.E.

While officers were on the way to the call, an individual at the Allsup's convenience store reported that someone had been shot outside of their business. Upon arrival, officers located an individual with a gunshot wound to the leg. The person had been shot by a stray bullet during a shootout across the street at a trailer park located at 6901 Zuni Rd SE.

Duke at the ABQBio Park.

While on the scene, an additional gunshot was heard coming from the trailer park just to the north of the Allsup's. During the investigation, officers followed some evidence into a mobile home park. Within the park, officers noticed a blood trail and followed it inside an abandoned mobile home. New Mexico Game and Fish took custody of the Bengal tiger from APD and transported him to the ABQ BioPark where they began rehabbing him. The tiger stayed at the ABQ BioPark for 30 days and ultimately gave him the name “Duke”.

The crime scene from when the shooting and finding of Duke the Bengal Tiger was founded.

This week, Duke was taken to The Wild Animal Sanctuary located in Keenesburg, Colorado. The sanctuary has 11,000 plus acres of natural habitats for its rescued animals and it is home to more than 700 rehabilitated animals.

"He is currently staying inside our veterinary hospital so that our doctors have a chance to observe him, as well as monitor his food intake and elimination habits. Of course, being in Colorado, our weather is a bit different than Albuquerque, so he goes outside during the day and plays in an enclosed area adjacent to the Hospital. He is currently being fostered by a number of the Sanctuary’s rescued dogs, which help give him companionship and the ability to play with other four-legged beings," said Pat Craig, executive director of The Wild Animal Sanctuary.

The goal is to have Duke move into a large natural habitat once he gets bigger.

"He is very small for his age, so he has some catching up to do," said Craig.