Meredith Lee
A place to rest
In January 2012, following an undercover
investigation that revealed inadequate care for the animals and safety
concerns for the public, The Humane Society of the United States helped
rescue 11 exotic animals---including three tigers---from a roadside zoo
in Mississippi. The tigers were taken to the Cleveland Amory Black
Beauty Ranch, operated by HSUS affiliate The Fund for Animals, in
Murchison, Texas. Their personalities began to emerge with daily
enrichment, such as playing with oversize Boomer balls and rubbing
nontoxic childrenís paint across a canvas with their face and paws. And
this August, 11-year-old sisters Natalia and Anastasia were the first to
step into the facilityís new 5-acre big cat habitat. In this image,
Natalia enjoys a moment in the new lazy pool, a shallow area where the
tigers can cool off without getting completely submerged. (Photo Credit: Meredith Lee/The Humane
Society of the United States)
Posted: Friday, October 17, 2014
By Jean Riggs, Special to the Review
It
was media day at the new Big Cat Habitat, and a wonderful opportunity
to meet these beautiful creatures face-to-face. Other than the staff of
the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch near Murchison, the only other
people who have been this close and personal with the tigers are the
donors who made this magnificent facility a reality.
Phase
One has four tigers as their first residents. Executive Director Ben
Callison said, "Fundraising has already begun for Phase 2, and by the
time Phase 3 is completed, lions, cougars and even bears will find a
home at Black Beauty Ranch."
Phase
one consists of a 3-acre enclosure with a natural pond and two smaller
enclosures about one-quarter acre in size, with a cement pond, and the
second includes a waterfall effect. There is also an isolation yard that
is topped and used for newly-arriving cats, and recovery after surgery
or dental work.
The
outdoor enclosures have two fences, an enclosure and a perimeter. The
enclosure fence also has two hot wires to discourage trying to climb the
fence. The Phase One building houses the kitchen where the cats’ food
is prepared and stored, as well as the stainless steel trays and bowls.
The next area houses the cameras and other monitoring systems for the
habitat.
Callison
demonstrated the computerized system for tiger hunting, and thanked
Athens resident Paul Benson, owner of Visual Communications for making
it possible to be able to monitor with cameras, temperatures and smoke
detection. Those located in the 3-acre enclosure were pretty elusive.
Behind that wall were the tiger dens, and just down the hall was the
intake area. Staff demonstrated the safety factors of this very
well-designed feature.
Noelle
Almrud, director of animal care, explained that unlike lions, tigers
are very solitary cats. And only because the two female cats are litter
mates can they share an enclosure.
Anastasia
and Natalia, both 11 years of age, were in the 3-acre enclosure, and
did not come up to visit the media. Gustavo is a 15-year-old tiger that
was rescued, along with the females from a roadside zoo in Mississippi.
He was occupying the second enclosure, but chose to be in his den, and
was absent from view as well.
Alex
(short for Alexander), age 4, seemed very relaxed posing for the
cameras and interacting with the media. He was abandoned in Kansas,
along with several other big cats and assorted animals. They were left
with no food and no clean drinking water.
Almud
said that when the cats first arrived, she and her staff would either
hang their food in a tree, or hide it to replicate their natural hunting
instincts. "Of course, if they did not find it, we removed it," she said.She went on to explain the diets of tigers are regulated, with all meats being organically grown. "Many times we feed a grind, which consists of organ meats and bones," Almrud said.
Samantha
Miller, media contact for Humane Society of the United States, proudly
noted this sanctuary has one the largest yards of any big-cat facility
in the country, and certainly the largest in Texas.
"For
the first time in their lives, these tigers are living with an
uninterrupted sky above their head, natural vegetation beneath their
feet and an expansive environment, and I am delighted to be here to
welcome the local media," Miller said.
The Global Federation of Animal
Sanctuaries has very high standards for big cat sanctuaries, and there
are only five in Texas, with Black Beauty being the largest.
Almrud
explained that the tigers were rotated among the three enclosures.
Each one is allowed plenty of time in each enclosure to become familiar
with it, as the staff does not wish to stress them out. She also went on
to explain that they hold mock escapes, and throughout the sanctuary,
the staff and volunteers are taught proper safety procedures.
"The
first line of defense is the use of chemicals such as dart guns," said
Almrud. "There are always at least two staff people at the tiger
habitat, to check and double check that all safety procedures are being
followed," she emphasized.
The
plans and design of the facility are a culmination of information
gathered from many different sources and resources such as the San Diego
Wildlife Park and Jacksonville Zoo.
Callison
said he and his staff completed the final design. They took into
account regional situations such as tornadoes when building the dens for
the tigers. The Big Cat Habitat serves as a model, and Callison says he
will make the plans available to any other sanctuary.
If
you want to see the big cat habitat, as well as all the other wonderful
animals at Black Beauty Ranch, 12526 County Road 3806, Murchison, TX
75778, mark your calendar for Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
for their semi-annual open house.
Opportunities to donate or become a
volunteer are available on their website or Facebook page. Or call for
further information at 903-469-3811.
source
No comments:
Post a Comment