2013 Big Cat Workshop participants at Carolina Tiger Rescue.
I heard this tagline on a TV commercial a few nights ago
just before I fell asleep in a North Carolina hotel. We had just
finished the second day of the first-ever Big Cat Sanctuary Workshop, co-hosted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) Wildlife Rescue Division and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS).
So last weekend, representatives from 21 big cat
sanctuaries, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) GFAS,
and IFAW met in Durham, North Carolina to discuss common problems and
concerns, share ideas and successes, and for the first time for many,
put a face to the name.
Many of the individuals at the workshop had spoken to one
another on the phone numerous times, coordinating rescues and placements
for big cats, but had never met in person. Similarly, a large
percentage of the sanctuary participants rarely knew who to call when
they needed help, as networking in this community has been historically
limited. This workshop aimed to bridge these gaps.
Topics covered at the workshop ranged from board
development and fundraising, to disaster preparedness, marketing, media
communications, compassion fatigue, advocacy and hot topics in big cat
husbandry, such as providing best possible care for geriatric animals.
Participants at the 2013 Big Cat Workshop held at Carolina Tiger Rescue.
Bringing many of the leaders of the sanctuary world into
the same room served to be an immensely worthwhile endeavor, as it
inspired communication, support and respect for those sharing the burden
of providing lifelong care to displaced, unwanted, and abused big cats
in the United States.
A young American poet by the name of Mattie Stepanek, who
faced a brief lifetime of incredible challenges, dying only a month
before his 14th birthday, once said “Unity is strength…when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”
In less than 24 hours since the first Big Cat Sanctuary Workshop, I believe we have seen the proof of this message.
Not only did the workshop succeed in bring many people
together for the first time, but it ignited a movement of unity which we
will not let die out.
Plans are currently underway to develop a network and
provide a new platform for sanctuaries across the country to share
information about rescues, developments in policy, safety regulations,
animal care and more.
It is now on all of us to ensure that the momentum built
up over the past few days will not be short-lived and that U.S. big cat
sanctuaries will have the opportunity and passion to work together to
end the big cat crisis in this country.
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