Big Cat Rescue

Big Cat Rescue is one of those marvelous places where animals, which have been poorly treated, are now given a home with plenty of space, healthy diets and good care. They cannot be released in the wild because of the conditions under which they have been raised. They have been “pets”, they have been part of road-side circuses, they have been inbred to create unique, exotic animals.

The 2 animals below are Cameron, the male lion, and Zabu, the white tiger. They were discovered sharing a habitat in a roadside circus. The had been put in the same habitat with hopes they would breed and produce a white lion—which hasn’t been done. White tigers do not exist in the wild. They are born when 2 tigers with a specific gene that produces the white color are bred. These animals are always born with medical issues. In this case, Zabu has a cleft palate and has difficulty eating. 

This cat is JoJo, the result of breeding 2 species of cats: a serval and a caracal. This was done by an owner who wanted a truly unique exotic animal. Thousands of dollars were spent to correct birth defects.

 Little White Dove and Running Bear are 2 bobcats who have formed an unusual bond. White Dove was rescued from a “fur farm” and could have ended up as a fur coat. When both arrived at the Rescue, they became friends and decided they wanted to be “roommates”—few cats want to share the same habitat, but these did.

Tis next cat is Sabre, a black leopard, also called a black panther (which has not been considered politically correct since the 60s….). He’s 22 years old—10 years older than the average life span in the wild. If you look closely, you’ll see his leopard spots through his “blackness”. His skin is a dark brownish color, instead of the tan color of most leopards. In the shade it looks black. Sabre’s original owner asked the Rescue to take him temporarily, but then left town and did not leave a forwarding address.

The cats are housed in individual habitats that are large—often several circular or rectangular areas connected. They have enrichment activities, grass and leaves to lay in (instead of concrete cages). There are trees to climb and covered area for when they want to be alone or the weather is bad. The enclosures are not as large as the miles of natural area they roam in the wild. The Rescue has developed 2 areas for the small and large cats that they call “vacations” that are several acres each. Each cat spends 2 weeks twice a year on vacation, where they can roam and approximate what it would be to live in the wild. 

The following are pictures of some of the other animals that show the breadth of animals served.

Lots of tigers.

Several leopards, including Armani, who has been used in photo shoots (think Glamour), until the Rescue decided this encouraged people to have pets like this.

Ocelots: 

Canada Lynx: