For example, I finally took a field trip to a place I've been wanting to visit almost since we moved to Chapel Hill. Carolina Tiger Rescue is a non-profit organization that takes in wild animals who've been removed from their previous--usually unsafe, inappropriate, and/or abusive--homes and provides them a comfortable, caring environment in which to spend the remainder of their lives. On the tour, the volunteer guide shared a multitude of horror stories about how the creatures were found or came to be placed there, many of which involved either an ill-conceived "pet situation" or a sketchy roadside zoo that was shut down for its inhumane conditions and practices.
On a related note, he mentioned that only a handful of the big cats are actually on display; most of them have to be kept behind the scenes, away from people, due to their "aggressive behavior". One can only imagine how they were treated by their former handlers...such as the specific female tiger he told us about, who reacts with fear and anger whenever she spots any man wearing sunglasses and a hat. It's utterly heartbreaking...even more so because of the fact that these majestic beasts have no chance whatsoever of being released back into their natural habitat after knowing only captivity and human intervention, since as he put it, "They have no idea how to actually be tigers" (or lions, or what have you) and they'd therefore perish very quickly if left to fend for themselves.
However, the upside is that they are loved, nurtured, fed, protected, and kept healthy in a 55-acre sanctuary where nothing can harm them...and throngs of adoring fans can come admire their beauty. And if you're so inclined, you can donate service time or food to help out the residents--we were told that they eat mostly chicken, bought from the grocery store since "we just couldn't seem to get any 'volunteer pluckers'!" Even better: you might have heard me rant about the endless hordes of deer that run rampant in NC? Well, apparently during hunting season, some of the folks with licenses--and good aim, I suppose--will bring their...trophies...to the center, to be made into fresh venison for the caged carnivores.
Oh, and every day, the staff administers "enrichment"...basically, either something to simply play with, for amusement and exercise, or a kind of puzzle to solve, like when the keepers hide their meal inside a container that they have to work to break open in order to receive their edible reward. Or after the December holidays, when people can donate their Christmas trees for the curious felines to scratch, chew, bat around, and shred to their hearts' content.Still...while they're distantly related to the tame kitty companions with whom we share our houses, it doesn't take long for them to remind you that...they would eat you in a heartbeat if they could. Such as the "orange tiger" (so designated by our leader, laughingly) who perks up considerably when small children stroll up to his habitat. You can only wonder what he's thinking, but in my mind, it's something along the lines of, "Mmm...SNACK SIZE!" And then there was the Siberian tiger who, the moment our group approached, stood up and began pacing the length of his enclosure, right next to the fence. I mentioned this to an extra volunteer who was tagging along on our excursion, and he quietly answered, "Yeah, he's social. Not friendly, mind you, but he likes the attention."
Noted. Although I soooo want to stroke his magnificent fur and scratch his ears, I'll stay back here, on the non-buffet side of the chain-link! This message was only reinforced for me when he came right up to the spot where I was parked with my camera--only about 3 feet away, mind you--paused his perambulation, and Stared. Right. At. Me. for like 30 seconds. Yikes! I mean, nice tiger! You're stunning, really. Love those stripes. Now how 'bout you move along, there's a good boy...hey, I think there's a kid-nugget right over there, why don't you go check it out? (Just kidding...there were actually several to choose from...kind of like a Whitman sampler...for predators. Ha!)
Anyway, despite the tragic tales of how they all came to be at the wildlife preserve, I greatly enjoyed getting up-close with the animals. (I realize I gave them short shrift, but there are also smaller rescues, like a leopard, bobcats, servals, and caracals...and the huge, super-lazy lions who lay in the sun and declined to participate in our nonsense while we watched them. Also gorgeous....just boring!) And it was reassuring to see them all looking so well-tended and...as content as they can be, I guess, given their lack of freedom to roam the Earth the way nature intended. I still have an overwhelming urge to rub some bellies...maybe next time!
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