Nicky the tiger cub may be only three months old, but she's already had enough adventures for a lifetime.
Captured recently by villagers in the Malaysian, Nicky was sold to a Chinese restaurant-- apparently headed for the pot as exotic dinner.
A Malaysian diplomat rescued her, paying 10,000 ringgit (US$2,631) for her freedom, and sent her to a zoo last week.
But the cub disappeared from her cage sometime after Tuesday night.
A frantic search of the sprawling, 22-hectare zoo in the southern town of Malacca yielded nothing-- but Nicky reappeared on Friday, a zoo official said on condition of anonymity.
He said zoo workers
It is not clear if either theory was proven correct. The zoo official would only say that Nicky was back in the zoo's care on Friday. He refused to confirm if anyone brought her back or if a 10,000 ringgit (US$2,631; 2,160) award, offered by a local newspaper, played a part.
Zookeepers nursed the emaciated cub back to health on a diet of cat food, chicken wings and milk. She was believed to be in good condition Friday after her mysterious two-day ordeal.
Tigers are protected species under Malaysian law. Keeping tiger cubs can lead to six years in jail and a fine of 6,000 ringgit (US$1,578).