A portrait of Tango the Tiger. He was famous as one of the tigers used in the Esso 'Put a Tiger in your Tank campaign back in the early 90's. After a highly successful advertising campaign, he was promptly abandoned and ended up in a circus. Officials learned he had been abused and took him into care with a second rescued tigress Julia, eight.
But the pair faced being put down in Belgium until the Woodside Wildlife and Falconry Park (here in Lincolnshire) bought them in April 2014 for an estimated £250,000. Here he spent his last few years being looked after in 'retirement' in a decent sized enclosure (not a circus cage) until he sadly passed away in September 2016.
I took this portrait shot of Tango a few months before he passed away.
screen capture from the ad - source: google images
