A feline field trip: Carolina Tiger Rescue

Last week, I went with 2 friends to Carolina Tiger Rescue, which is located in Pittsboro NC. As the name indicates, it is a rescue organization for tigers and other "big cats".

Initially, this site was founded as a breeding program for endangered big cat species. It no longer serves that function, as a number of other organizations are doing a creditable job of that. In order to be classified as a rescue program, the site must agree not to breed animals and not to permit physical contact between the cats and humans. And although they adhere faithfully to these rules, it is possible to get closer to the cats than one could in a zoo.

Carolina Tiger Rescue  considers education to be one of their most important functions. And I learned a good deal as we toured the facility. As one example...

...interestingly enough, it is illegal in the state of North Carolina to possess a creature which is indigenous to this state. So , for example, you would break the law if you were to trap and keep a wild rabbit. By the same token, if you were to find a baby possum, you should not try to care for it yourself. Several good reasons for that. For one, you would likely not have the specialized knowledge of how to care for it properly. Perhaps even more importantly, you and your family could be exposed to potentially fatal disease (i.e. rabies).

Even though it is illegal to have a squirrel as a pet, however, it is not illegal to have a pet tiger or lion. (Don't ask me to try to explain the logic behind that. I cannot.) And the majority of states apparently have no laws forbidding the possession of wild cats that can reach 600+ pounds. That's why some of these animals now live at Carolina Tiger Rescue.

The stories of some of these animals were, at times, almost incomprehensible to me.

• Two of the animals living there were 6-month-old tiger cubs that became more than their "human parents" could handle. So they simply turned them loose on the side of the road, where passing motorists saw them and notified authorities.
• One beautiful animal finally made his way to Carolina Tiger Rescue after being kept in a 3-foot by 3-foot by 6-foot cage for a couple of years. He arrived malnourished and had difficulty walking from being cramped up in an enclosure far too small for him.
• Several of the animals were rescued after the zoos in which they lived ran out of funding and were forced to close.
• One tiger cub was confiscated from the back seat of a car after its owner was pulled over on a routine traffic stop in a state where it's illegal to own a big cat.
• One owner simply put the animal in a crate and left it outside the locked gate of the facility one night.
• In another case, a rescued cat kept walking into walls; it was discovered that the animal had been born blind, and apparently hadn't gotten appropriate veterinary care... its previous owner was unaware it was blind.
• One man discovered that a bobcat doesn't have the same disposition as the tabby cat down the street. Bobcats don't have a great sense of humor, and they DO have a temper.

They call these animals "wild" because they are... uh... WILD. It is a mistake to try to keep a wild animal - especially one that will attain a weight of 600+ pounds - as a pet. They won't be litter trained. They will chew on or scratch the furniture, and quite possible they will chew on or scratch you as well. It's highly doubtful your back yard will have ample running room for such a creature, and your neighbors might not appreciate it if the animal escapes your yard and eats their Pomeranian.  More than likely, you don't know how to care for and feed the animal properly, and more than likely, your vet doesn't have a heck of a lot of experience caring for lions and tigers.

So if you want to see an ocelot or a lion, go to the zoo or to a facility such as Carolina Tiger Rescue. If you've got an itch to take care of a big cat, make a donation or "adopt" one. Head on over to Carolina Tiger Rescue's web site to find out more.

But please, don't try to make one of these magnificent creatures into a pet.

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Stop by Outdoor Wednesday, where I'm sharing this post today.