Tiger at Indiana zoo snuggles up to woman's baby bump

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Friday, June 23, 2017
Tiger snuggles up to zoo visitor's baby bump
A tiger snuggled up to a mom-to-be visiting the Potawatomi Zoo in Indiana.

This mom-to-be will have quite the story to tell her little one someday.

Natasha Handshoe was at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, on June 16 when she noticed a tiger lying near its enclosure glass. She got closer so she could take a picture, and the tiger perked up.

Her cousin, Brittany Osborne, started filming, and before they knew it, the tiger was nuzzling its nose against the glass, as if trying to rub against Handshoe's baby bump.

"It truly was a sweet moment between Baby girl Handshoe and the Tiger!" Osborne told ABC in an email.

The women shared the video with the zoo, who wrote on Facebook, "This is why the Zoo is here -- to help make connections to nature! Thanks for sharing this amazing video with one of our tiger sisters!"

Handshoe, who is due in September, was especially touched by the moment.

"Natasha is an animal LOVER, she has 3 fur-babies at home, so I think this meant more to her then [sic] most people," Osborne said. "Natasha was just so touched that the tiger could sense she was pregnant."