3 Days in Charlotte, NC 

 

with Howie visiting his brother, the Nimphies and attending Tigers 4 Tigers conference at Clemson.

 

Bloomfire Article about Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue

 

Carole Baskin is the founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, a nonprofit sanctuary in Tampa, Florida dedicated to exotic cats that have been abused and abandoned. We gave her a call to find out all about her life’s passion and the intertwined challenges of saving cats, keeping customers happy and running a successful business.

 

Zerve:  Could you explain what Big Cat Rescue is, for anyone who hasn’t heard of it?

 

Carole:  We are the world’s largest accredited sanctuary that is dedicated entirely to exotic cats. We rescue lions, tigers, leopards and more, and give them a permanent home.

 

Zerve:  What kind of situations are these cats rescued from?

 

Carole:  They come from the entertainment industry, some have come from fur farms where they were going to be slaughtered for their fur... a lot of them end up coming to us as pets, but it’s not that people go out thinking “I want to buy a tiger as a pet”; what happens is that people have their picture taken with a cute little tiger cub, but it’s only legal to do  that — or USDA guidelines say you’re only supposed to do that — when the tigers are between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks. So as soon as those cubs are too big to handle, the breeders and dealers and exploiters of these animals start passing them off on people, saying “Oh, it’s been bottle-fed,” and “It’s been around people its whole life,” and “It’s going to be just like a dog,” and “It’s going to grow up in your family and love you.” And people believe it, but they get home with this cat that by the end of the first year is going to be 200 pounds, in the second year 300 pounds, by the fourth year 500 pounds... you just can’t get rid of it fast enough!

 

Zerve:   I’m sure in some cases, that’s pretty dangerous.

 

Carole:  Very dangerous, even when they’re small. If you have an infant — a lot of people think it’s so cute to have a little baby meet a little tiger cub — that tiger cub could take that kid’s fingers off!

 

Zerve:  So when these cats get to your facility, they have the space that they need and the people with the expertise to take care of them?

 

Carole:  Yes. We only have 10 paid staff, but we have over 85 volunteers and we’re on 55 acres, so when cats come to us, they stay with us for the rest of their lives. Our cages are known for being some of the largest in the sanctuary industry and have a lot of bushes and trees and ponds and stuff for the cats to do, so we try to just make their lives as comfortable as we can until they die of old age, which at Big Cat Rescue can be in their late teens and early twenties. Usually in most other places they only live to be 10 or 12.

 

Zerve:  It’s impressive that you have so many volunteers; it sounds like people are really passionate about these cats.

 

Carole:  Yes, but it’s not just that you can come in whenever you want to and volunteer — it’s very strict. They have to put in at least four hours a week and take all kinds of classes and there are different levels that they have to progress through. Everyone wants to work with lions and tigers, but they have to be a volunteer with us for two years taking care of small cats (like bobcats, servals and caracals) before we even let them get anywhere close to a tiger or lion or leopard cage, because those cats can kill you. And nobody has any physical contact with the cats, we don’t touch them at all here.

 

Zerve:  Sounds like a good idea. I’d be terrified to get that close to a tiger!

 

Carole:  Especially when they’re in a bad mood, oh my gosh! Your blood just runs cold when they jump at you or roar at you.

 

Zerve:  So what exactly is your role at Big Cat Rescue?

 

Carole:  I’m the founder and the CEO, but even I don’t have any contact with the cats unless there’s a situation where we have to net a cat for the vet to check him out.

My Dad Was a Private Detective

 

When I was in grade school my father (Vern) was a Private Detective and our family believed in raising their own kids so after school, instead of ending up in daycare, I ended up on stakeouts with my dad. I learned to look for clues and to notice patterns in behavior. It has served me well, but this set of clues has me befuddled. As you know from the Safari Guide, Precious and The Great Pretender are litter mates who we rescued from an auction where they were being bid on by taxidermists. They were 6 months old when they came home with us in October of 1992. They were already vicious, so we never handled them when they were young.

 

It wasn't until 2010, when Pretender was being checked out for neurological issues that we discovered he had been declawed on the front and one toe had been declawed on the back. Well, that was weird, but we didn't think much of it. Then, back to back Precious ended up on the Observation Chart for a malformed claw and Pretender was on the chart for not eating.  I created a video that is 23 minutes long that shows you the lengths we went to in order to clip Precious' nails, without sedating her. At 21 years of age, we really didn't want to sedate either of them because the sedation can be very dangerous.

 

Pretender's issue was not as easy to assess, so he had to be sedated for a full blood work up, sonogram and rotten tooth extraction.  While Jamie and I were trying to wake him up, which took more than 6 hours, we began wondering aloud about why someone would have these two kittens, probably as pets, and yet one was declawed on the front, and one toe on the back and the other kitten had all her claws?  Maybe Pretender had been declawed front and back and just had some grow back in.

 

Maybe the people realized after the surgery just how scary it is to sedate a cat (did they have to finish before they were done due to some emergency?) or maybe they just felt so bad about doing that to him, that Precious was spared?  If they cared so much, then why would they offload the kittens at an exotic animal auction where taxidermists would bid on cats to turn into den decorations?  Who knows?

 

What we do know is that Precious and The Great Pretender have lived long healthy lives here; thanks to all of you keeping such a close eye on them and because of the great care you give all of the cats.

 

Jamie and Dad had a great love of plants.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Boris the Siberian Lynx

Most of you probably don't know him, but he was a kitten who had been rescued from a Fur Farm the same year as Raindance and Natasha.  We had a friend, named Delores Newman, who had mostly leopards, but had a single Siberian Lynx, named Ginger.  She had decades of experience and saved Hallelujah and Glory Glory the cougars’ lives when they were first rescued and taught us a lot.  When she asked if Boris could come to her place to keep Ginger company, we agreed.  But I adored Boris, so the deal we made was that they would spend 6 months together with us and then 6 months together at Delores' house.  They moved back and forth for years.

 

Delores died just recently, but had been in failing health for years.  For many years I paid the property taxes on her home so that she wouldn't lose it, but over the years we had lost touch.  She was a breeder (dogs and leopards) and our philosophy had changed back in the 1990's.  I had heard that all of her cats had gone to Amazing Exotics in Umatilla, FL which ended up being run by Ron Guay Holiday.  You may remember him from Cat Dancers and from a TV show that chronicled how his gay lover and his wife were both killed by a white tiger about a week or so apart back in the 1990s.  I asked around, but never could find Boris and Ginger until last year.

 

Last year we took a group of volunteers to visit Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary and I discovered that through a circuitous route, my beloved Boris and Ginger, had ended up there.  I asked to bring them home to Big Cat Rescue, but Robin and her crew had grown to love Boris and Ginger over the years and wouldn't let them go.  Now we help with the cats' financial support.  Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary is not accredited, but they are trying to do the right thing for the animals.  Today I will be giving my second tour to their entire board of directors and key staff.  I made a little video for them of Boris when he was a kitten.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Tribute to Willow the Siberian Lynx

 

5/6/94 - 1/3/2013 Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 6/1/94

 

Willow was born at a fur farm in Canada. We had bought all of the kittens the farm had and they were shipped here in crates so small that the kittens could not move. The little wire crates appeared to be full of sticky, smelly gray fur. We opened the crates and pulled out the contents, and found a group of soiled, starving, sick and stressed little kittens. None of them died in transit, which was a astounding, considering the condition in which they had arrived, but sadly several did not survive long after. Willow was always one of the skinniest and willowiest of the group and thus her name.

 

She was raised with Natasha and Alexander, the bobcat hybrid, and still remains one of the friendliest cats here. She shared her large grassy habitat with Natasha. They were often seen lying in the sun grooming each other’s beautiful fur coats.

 

Like all wild cats, Willow was stoic and showed no signs of being ill until she refused her food one night.  The next day she seemed just too tired and stiff to move so she was taken in to the vet where she was found to be in the final stages of renal failure.  She made it clear that she was ready to go.  Natasha sleeps most of the time now and is a year older than Willow.  When she is awake she seems to be looking for her old friend from her resting spot.  We are heartbroken at the loss of Willow and even more so, to see Natasha looking so sad.

 

Photo circa early 2000’s of Carole and Natasha.  We do not display photos of people touching cats after 2004.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

2012 Annual Report 

 

Big Cat Rescue is more than just a place that provides permanent care for big cats.  It is a movement;  a change in the tide of human perceptions and is the combined effort of more than 79,000 supporters.  If you are one of them, you are a Big Cat Rescuer and the following is the great work YOU did!  If you haven’t helped yet, you can do so now at the top right of the screen or here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/donate

 

Big Cat Rescue’s Mission Statement:  Big Cat Rescue’s dual mission is to provide the best home we can for the cats in our care and educate the public about the plight of these majestic animals, both in captivity and in the wild, to end abuse and avoid extinction.  We are Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

 

Advances:  With your help we are winning in the battle for compassion! Up until 2003 the number of requests for rescues we had to turn down due to lack of space or funds had roughly doubled every other year, to 312 that year. We feared it would double again to over 500 in 2004. Instead, it has steadily declined since then thanks to the passage of a federal bill and several state bills that restrict the ownership of exotic cats. This year there were “only” 85 big cats who came to our attention as being abandoned.  Note that 69 of them came from failed pseudo sanctuaries.  We were able to take in 7. We offered to take all of the cats who were cougar size or smaller, if their owners would contract to never own another exotic cat, but the rest refused.  We just do not have enough Senior Keeper staff to take on more lions or tigers than the three we took this year.

 

Volgistics became our new time tracking service on Jan 1, 2012 and has replaced our use of Freshbooks.  Everyone seems to like the big buttons and easy check in and check out process.

 

Animal Care:  By the end of this year, 96 of our 101 exotic cats are over the age of 12;  80 of those are over the age of 15; and 19 of those are over the age of 20. This is well beyond how long they are designed to live in the wild and much older than most zoo cats.  This is a testament to the excellent animal care we provide, but we are dealing with many more age related illnesses and are losing more of our big cat friends every year.

 

We use operant conditioning to enable much of our vet care without the necessity of anesthesia, which is very hard on the cats, but despite that, 43 of our animals had to be sedated for vet care in 2012.  We also performed 6 Necropsies:  (most performed for interns, all with Dr. Justin), had 4 high ticket Special Surgeries at Blue Pearl, had 2 intricate specialized surgeries by Dr. Hay, 4 on-site dentals by Dr. Peak and vaccinated 84 cats, in addition to countless trips to Ehrlich Animal Hospital to have the cats treated by our volunteer vet, Dr. Liz Wynn.

 

Rescues:  With the help of some very special donors we were able to rescue 4 bobcats, two Savannah Cat hybrids and two kittens that were reported to be bobcats, but who turned out to be tail-less Manx.  One of those bobcats was Rufus who came in to a Rehabber on Dec 5 weighing 4 lbs, with a broken jaw, split canine and comatose.  They figured he had been hit by a car, but at 4 lbs couldn’t believe that he survived.  After he woke up from the coma he was pretty loopy, but they figured the impact had done brain damage.  They had to wire the jaw shut, tube feed him and removed the broken canine. He appeared to be blind and was having bad and frequent seizures, that ultimately cut his life short, but he touched all of us deeply.

 

On 12/12/12 we had another perfect USDA inspection.

 

3 of our Cat-a-Tats were expanded with room additions, four of them had major renovations and five tunnels were installed to join cages to give the cats more room, including our first overhead tunnels.  We constructed new Outdoor Recovery Cage and made major renovations to the Hospital Recovery Cage.  We provided emergency rescue for a fox and a hawk, in addition to the b

Jamie Veronica Murdock Married Dr. Justin Boorstein, DVM. This was their Save The Date video and I love how creatively Jamie captured their years together before the wedding. 

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Enya Cougar Chokes to Death

Enya the cougar was named for the singer because when my grandfather was dying in Hospice care at home, he said he loved listening to her on CDs. He died just days before Enya was born. For 15 years her name has been a bittersweet word on my lips. I loved that the singer gave my grandfather some comfort in his last months, but missed him every time I called to Enya the cougar.

 

Losing Enya was sudden and unexpected. She had been in what appeared to be perfect health and just the day before I had been watching her purring contently as I paused to talk about her with a tour group. She was found dead on 11/18/12 and a necropsy revealed that a strip of red meat was found lodged in her esophagus that may have caused her to asphyxiate. If this was the cause of her death it is a freak occurrence. There is nothing that could have been done to prevent it.

 

Cutting the red meat up into smaller pieces would not be the solution as the cats would be more likely to eat these smaller pieces much more quickly than when they take their time and chew the bigger pieces. The reason that we supplement their regular diet with chunks of beef and chicken is so that they can have the pleasure of gnawing at their food as they are hard wired to do. We will all miss her and the huge purring sounds that came from such a petite little cougar.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Petition for Rule Making to Prohibit Public Contact with Cubs

 

Note from the future 7/10/2021 USDA is required to respond within three years and here we are 9 years later with no response.  I nagged them again via email a few days ago. 

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Escapes:  People always ask if we have had escapes.  

If you just say “yes” then you can be sure that they will want all the juicy details and that is the one thing they will remember and repeat from your tour.  We have had escapes but no animal has escaped the property since back in the 90s.  Your answer to that question can be, “not since the 90’s” or “not to my knowledge,” or “not since I’ve been here.”  In any case, unless you were part of the rescue team who brought the cat back, it falls under our Code of Honor where we agree not to tell a story if it isn’t ours.  If you are pressed for details, tell them to contact the founder at [email protected]  The same would true for questions about injuries.

 

Some of you have probably seen that the bad guys now use our Memorial site as a way of bashing us.  We created the site and posted every cat who died on it because our volunteers wanted a way to share their grief with each other and the world.  Now it is being used to harm us, but as much as I was opposed to a site that focused on grief, I am inclined to keep it going because we are unique in the fact that we are so transparent.  I’ve never heard of any sanctuary, zoo or private owner posting a comprehensive list of every animal who died in their cages and I think it is a testament to the great care we give our cats that we do so.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

What Makes Big Cat Rescue the Cat's Pajamas?

Big Cat Rescue is the largest accredited sanctuary in the world dedicated entirely to abused and abandoned big cats.  The nonprofit sanctuary began in 1992 and is home to more than 100 exotic big cats.  The cats at Big Cat Rescue are here for a variety of reasons, including:

 

• Abandoned by owners who wrongly thought they would make good pets

• Abused by owners in order to force them to perform

• Retired from performing acts

• Saved from being slaughtered to make fur coats

• Rescued as babies after hunters killed their mothers

 

Big Cat Rescue has many species of cats, many of whom are threatened, endangered or extinct now in the wild, including: Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Cougars, Bobcats, Lynx, Servals, Ocelots, Caracals

 

Big Cat Rescue’s mission is to provide the best possible home for the animals in our care and try to stop the flow of exotic cats needing sanctuary by educating the public about the plight of the animals and supporting stronger laws to protect them.  This award winning sanctuary is situated on 55 acres in the Citrus Park area of north Tampa.  Our IRS Federal ID# is 59-3330495.  Our 990s are available online at GuideStar.org with a complete breakdown of how your donations are spent.

 

We are:

• Accredited by the Global Federation of Sanctuaries

• Certified by Independent Charities of America as a “Best in America Charity”

• A Member of the World Society for Protection of Animals

• Rated 4 Stars by Charity Navigator (their highest rating) and has the highest score of any animal based charity

 

The high profile good that is being done by Big Cat Rescue has inspired awards such as:

 

PC Magazine Names Big Cat Rescue in Top 12 Favorite Charities 2011

 

Big Cat Rescue, which takes in retired circus lions and tigers, also rescues other big cats from people who tried to keep them as pets, and otherwise offers sanctuary to large cats that are not eligible for release into the wild. It’s focused on educating people about the unsuitability of the animals as pets, working toward passing laws against roadside zoos, and shutting down breeding programs like the exotic pet trade. They also take in injured wild cats and rehabilitate them for release. The group has a video cam set up in the sanctuary, and they regularly post videos of the big cats. The cats eat a massive amount every day, naturally, so Big Cat Rescue relies on donations and paid tour groups to support them.—Arielle Rochette  PC Magazine

 

Thanks to all of you who voted for Big Cat Rescue, we won the People’s Choice Award at the WEDU Be More Awards!  Big Cat Rescue won against 90 contenders for the People’s Choice Award. WEDU has a viewing audience that includes 16 central Florida counties. Big Cat Rescue has won this award three years in a row, validating to us that many of your share our vision.

 

2011 Winner in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good  Big Cat Rescue was given a beautiful Toyota Tundra for being the top voted charity during their competition week.

 

9/2/2011  The Tampa Bay Business Journal awarded Big Cat Rescue in 3 categories:  Best Black Tie Event  Favorite Retreat and Team Building Venue and Second Best Fundraiser

 

With awards and recognition like these Big Cat Rescue has enjoyed the support of celebrities from all walks of life.  They have either visited, donated, helped further our mission or have done all three!  A few you might know are:

 

Animal Planet’s Ms. Adventure, Jane Goodall, Bill Murphy, County Commissioners, Congresswoman Castor, NY Yankees, Sue Zelenko, Arch Deal, Tim Harrison, Jethro Tull, 2008 Pageant Queens, Bo Derek, Tippi Hedren, Tampabay Bucs, Harrison Ford, The Lightning, Kate Walsh, Jim Fowler, Paul Parmar, Jack Hanna, Doug Williams, 717 South, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Harris, Hell’s Kitchen, Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys, Barbara Niven, Donna Vivino of Wicked, & Chadd & Kristi

 

The sanctuary receives no government support and relies on its educational activities, such as t