Article Courtesy: Northern Territory News

The troops of Tiger Battalion 5th Royal Australian Regiment were presented with a permanent memorial of their fallen mascot tiger yesterday.

A 2.2m x 1.8m painting of their deceased mascot, Sabre, was unveiled to the applause and cheers of the 5 RAR at the Robertson Barracks.

Artist Chloe Blanchard said it was a tribute to the efforts of the troops and hoped it would brighten their recreation area.

"I was so nervous about the unveiling," the personal trainer said. "The general response has been how much they appreciate it and how good it looks, so I think I pulled it off."

Ms Blanchard, 20, is the Director of Platinum Personal Painting and her husband Craig is a member of 5 RAR.

"We both wanted to commemorate the efforts of the unit and the time they gave to serve their country," she said.


Commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Forbes, said he hoped his troops would embrace the memorial as an interim mascot until Sabre's replacement was found. Formally named Quintus Septimus Sabre he was the third tiger mascot for the Battalion and lived at Crocodylus Park.

He died in September 2010 at 17 years old.

To view a video of the presentation »Here

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