There isn’t much to say, the photos say it all. I also have video clips and will post them once I figure out how to convert the format… so you can hear the sounds I slept with last night. So cool. Once an animal come here (Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge) to live, they are here the rest of their lives.
More lions…
More tigers…
More cougars…
Goober is just a grumpy ol’ man.
This is BamBam, a five-year old grizzle who is next in line to get an outdoor habitat on grass.
They even have a couple of ligers here… one, Brady, is the largest animal at the Refuge and is about 600 lbs. now… and expected to reach 1,000 lbs. Unfortunately, the crossbreeding of a Tiger and a Lion results in health issues causing a shorter than average life span… they are pretty certain that Brady’s heart will not keep up with his rapid growth. Sad. He is so beautiful.
There were even more animals there, but I didn’t see them… this place is worth visiting and worth supporting. Cost them over a million dollars a year to support all the animals. Small donations are welcome. Some people have donated an entire “habitat” – costs over $20,000 because they like ONE animal and wanted them to have their own space. That cost is only for materials, the construction is all done by interns and volunteers. That’s just amazing.
I bought a calendar for my grandkids for $5 in the store… I don’t know why they are $15.00 online, but it is a beautiful calendar. I wanted to buy their story CD about the stories of all the animals, but just can’t spend any more money right now. It is available online too.
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge rescues big cats from all over the country. Prior to coming to the Refuge, most of the animals lived in dirty, filthy, inadequate environments. Upon arrival at the Refuge, the new animals go through a period of quarantine for about three weeks. After passing this initial quarantine period, which includes extensive veterinarian examinations, the new arrivals move to the compound. The compound area is made up of large cages which meet all state and federal requirements. Although all regulations are met, the animals deserve better. Turpentine Creek staff members work tirelessly to improve living conditions for all the animals. For 8 years, staff members, interns, and volunteers have built nearly 30 huge natural habitats. These habitats house about 65 percent of the big cats residing at the Refuge. They must keep building habitats for the animals that wait in the compound. See Habitat Funding.
On the way back to my van I spotted some small deer grazing nearby and passed a nice coy pond and even a human graveyard.
But the sun is still shining and I’m on the road again after putting a Swankie Wammie on Arkansas.