Stairs help big cats sunbathe at sanctuary

Jade Bolack

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June 23, 2015 

 

SHARON — Like domestic house cats, the big cats at the Valley of the Kings animal sanctuary like to sunbathe.

They like to lay on the roofs of their houses and nap in the sun. Unfortunately, many of the lions and tigers at the animal sanctuary on Town Hall Road east of County Highway K in Sharon aren't able to get to the roofs anymore.

Their ages limit their mobility.

Jill Murphy, chairman of the Lowes Voice Team in Delavan, decided to help out big cats at Valley of the Kings.

The Voice Team is the charitable arm of the retail store, and Murphy said it's focus is to help in the community.

"It hasn't been very active in the past," Murphy said.

Since becoming chairman, Murphy said she wanted to reorganize the group and get it working.

Geneva Lake Wes Recent Jade Bolack

"The Valley of the Kings owners (Jim Tomasi and Jill Carnegie) are in the store all the time," she said. "So I reached out to them. I just asked what they needed."

Tomasi and Carnegie said their big cats needed stairs.

"Lowes gives us a budget every year for these projects," Murphy said. "We decided we could make the stairs for the big cats."

Murphy said she hadn't been to the animal sanctuary prior to working with the owners for the big cat stairways. She's visited in the last few weeks.

"It's very exciting," she said. "Unlike in a zoo, when the animals are in a pit, behind a fence with a deep trench around it, at the Valley of the Kings, they're right there. You can even put your hand up to the fence and they push their noses into your hand."

Murphy and her co-workers built nine sets of stairs for the big cats. They were installed earlier this week.

"We are so excited to be able to see (all the cats) use the stairs," she said. "I hope they use them. I hope it helps."

Big cat history

Many of the big cats at the sanctuary were rescued from circuses and zoos.

Some came from prior owners who thought wild animals would behave like pets.

Those cats who lived in domestic situations often have special needs.

Owners Tomasi and Carnegie, met through their mutual love of animals more than 40 years ago.

Tomasi said he volunteered for Carnegie's mission to breed cougars for release in the wild.

Since then, Tomasi and Carnegie married and quit breeding animals.

They found a passion for giving exotic animals a safe home.

They married and opened Valley of the Kings.

Now, they own the house at the entrance of the sanctuary.

The animals are fed roadkill from Walworth and neighboring counties, and some dry pet food is donated. One deer will last one cat a day.

Volunteers come out to help clean animal pens. The sanctuary isn't open to the public, but those who would like to help can become members and then volunteer with the animals.

Besides big cats, the sanctuary houses wolves, bears, donkeys, horses and camels.

 

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