FOUR PAWS, an animal welfare group, has rescued a rare white tiger cub, Charlota, from a private owner in the Czech Republic, sending it to a new home at a sanctuary in Germany.

The development came this week after the group, with help from the Czech Environment Ministry, shifted the tiger to its TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary on Wednesday.

Charlota had been in the Czech zoo, which became her temporary residence after it was seized by the Czech authorities last year.

Authorities had seized her from its private owner after the individual posted pictures of it on social media, prompting an investigation.

Police are still investigating how the person obtained the rare animal.

Under Czech law, owners can keep a tiger if they can show legal origin and acquisition, FOUR PAWS said.

“The young tigress is one of thousands of big cats that fall victim to the commercial illegal trade in Europe every year,” the group said.