Gold Coast beachgoers received a stripy surprise on Monday morning when a tiger hit the surf.
Handlers from theme park Dreamworld headed to Main Beach at dawn to give tiger cub Adira an experience she and onlookers are unlikely to forget.
Experiencing the sand between her claws and salt in her fur, Adira bounded along the water's edge to help raise awareness of the plight of tigers in the wild.
Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation director Al Mucci said the excursion was a great way to engage residents and tourists with the theme park's conservation initiatives.
"Today, tigers are critically endangered with less than 3000 left in the wild," Mr Mucci said.
"If we don't do something now, there'll be no wild tigers left for our children or grandchildren."
Mr Mucci said the trip to the beach had only been possible thanks to approval from local authorities and he was confident it was as much of a thrill for the animal as those who witnessed it.
"Tigers in the wild would often encounter new environments and situations so it was a very enriching experience for Adira," he said.
"She seems to have loved her first, and most-likely only, visit to a Gold Coast beach."
Dreamworld keeps seven adult tigers and five cubs as ambassadors for their conservation efforts, raising funds for their wild counterparts via donations.
Mr Mucci said those funds are bringing tangible rewards with two tiger poachers in Indonesia recently being jailed after being discovered by anti-poaching teams supported by the foundation.
