Does Your Neighbor Have a Tiger? - Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Part 1
You are used to hearing a neighbor’s dog bark or cats in a cat fight. If you are farther out in the country, you are even used to the sounds of cows and horses and an occasional coyote howl. But how would you feel if you heard a tiger growl or a lion roar? How would you feel if you discovered that a tiger is living next door in your suburban neighborhood? Or that a lion is roaming a nearby farm? The idea isn't so far-fetched. It's happening right across America. Tigers and lions are surprisingly easy and inexpensive to purchase as pets.
Big Cats Do Not Make Pets - Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Part 2
Like puppies, big cats are quite appealing when they're young and playful. Unlike a puppy, a tiger can eat 10 to 15 pounds of raw meat a day and grow to more than 500 pounds.
Quitman, Arkansas Rescue 2002 - Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Part 4
In the fall of 2002, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge was called to a breeding facility in Quitman, AR. The owner, who specialized in selling big cats as "pets," said his population had grown too large to care for. He called TCWR to take some of his 66 cats off his hands. When the rescue crew returned to Turpentine Creek, they had six starved tigers with them, all one year old or younger.
Tubby, Ralph and Katy - Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Final Part
I hope that you enjoyed the blogs leading up to the visit of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. More importantly, I hope you enjoyed their visit. My path with TCWR began in March 1994. They had 4 baby tigers that were 4 weeks old. I had never dreamed of touching one, let alone being given a bottle to feed one, but that is exactly what happened. From that point on, I have volunteered in any capacity that I could living 5 hours away from them.
Exotic animals as household pets can be dangerous. Most of you are probably thinking that is a pretty obvious statement. But exotic animal ownership, especially big cats, is a large problem. Laws regarding ownership of exotic animals vary from state to state.
