Black Beauty Ranch creates habitat for tigers in Murchison

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.  

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