Update: Emergency Grant Rescues Tigers & Cougars in Northwest Arkansas
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: February 18, 2013
Update (February 18):
One group is stepping up to help rescue several animals here in the Natural State.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare approved an emergency grant this week.
The money will help Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to rescue the remaining 10 big cats from a private reserve near Mountainburg.
We first told you about the on-going rescue efforts back in November.
An elderly woman was housing nearly 30 big cats, including tigers and cougars, and could no longer take care of them.
Thanks to that grant, Turpentine Creek will be able to move the remaining cats and build habitats for them.
Update (February 3):
The International Fund for Animal Welfare decided to match donations up to $40,000.
Every dollar you donate to the Eureka Springs big cat refuge it will be worth double.
Original Story (January 30):
More donations are needed for a continuing big cat rescue in Northwest Arkansas.
The large-scale tiger rescue operation has been going on since November.
The Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) in Eureka Springs (Carroll County) is relocating big cats from the privately-owned Riverglen Tiger Shelter in Mountainburg (Crawford County).
TCWR needs additional donations to pay for the cost of moving the 11 tigers still at the shelter in Mountainburg. The refuge has plenty of room to take them in, but also needs money to build the enclosures where the cats will live.
The shelter owner's failing health prompted her to ask for help for the 30 tigers, two cougars and two leopards that had been in her care.
All of the big cats are more than 15 years old. Some of them weigh several hundred pounds and it takes five or more people to move each one. TCWR says it's back-breaking work, but worth it to get the tigers moved safely.
The rest of the rescue operation is expected to cost about $100,000 and donations are needed to save the remaining animals.
Volunteer help is also needed with moving the cats and building their new enclosures. To volunteer, send an email to: ivy@turpentinecreek.org.
Click here for detailed information on the project in a TCWR newsletter, which includes a map of Riverglen so you can see the scope of the project.
Click here to donate to the cause. (Look for the yellow gold donate buttons).
Click here to watch a video that was made last month on the rescue operation.
Click the embedded video to watch a slideshow set to the song "We Are the World" using photos from the tiger sanctuary taken during TCWR's work at the facility in November.
Click here for updates on the operation from TCWR's Facebook page.
Continuing Coverage:
One group is stepping up to help rescue several animals here in the Natural State.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare approved an emergency grant this week.
The money will help Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to rescue the remaining 10 big cats from a private reserve near Mountainburg.
We first told you about the on-going rescue efforts back in November.
An elderly woman was housing nearly 30 big cats, including tigers and cougars, and could no longer take care of them.
Thanks to that grant, Turpentine Creek will be able to move the remaining cats and build habitats for them.
Update (February 3):
The International Fund for Animal Welfare decided to match donations up to $40,000.
Every dollar you donate to the Eureka Springs big cat refuge it will be worth double.
Original Story (January 30):
More donations are needed for a continuing big cat rescue in Northwest Arkansas.
The large-scale tiger rescue operation has been going on since November.
The Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) in Eureka Springs (Carroll County) is relocating big cats from the privately-owned Riverglen Tiger Shelter in Mountainburg (Crawford County).
TCWR needs additional donations to pay for the cost of moving the 11 tigers still at the shelter in Mountainburg. The refuge has plenty of room to take them in, but also needs money to build the enclosures where the cats will live.
The shelter owner's failing health prompted her to ask for help for the 30 tigers, two cougars and two leopards that had been in her care.
All of the big cats are more than 15 years old. Some of them weigh several hundred pounds and it takes five or more people to move each one. TCWR says it's back-breaking work, but worth it to get the tigers moved safely.
The rest of the rescue operation is expected to cost about $100,000 and donations are needed to save the remaining animals.
Volunteer help is also needed with moving the cats and building their new enclosures. To volunteer, send an email to: ivy@turpentinecreek.org.
Click here for detailed information on the project in a TCWR newsletter, which includes a map of Riverglen so you can see the scope of the project.
Click here to donate to the cause. (Look for the yellow gold donate buttons).
Click here to watch a video that was made last month on the rescue operation.
Click the embedded video to watch a slideshow set to the song "We Are the World" using photos from the tiger sanctuary taken during TCWR's work at the facility in November.
Click here for updates on the operation from TCWR's Facebook page.
Continuing Coverage:
