Wildlife Rescue Asks for Help Saving 34 Big Cats
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: November 13, 2012
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) in Eureka Springs is taking on its largest rescue ever from a home in Northwest Arkansas.
The big cats, including 30 tigers, two cougars and two leopards have been under the care of a 72-year-old woman in Mountainburg.
"She's been in this area for 21 years with big cats and it's just a shame that she's out there in the condition she is and we really feel for her and we want to help her the best way we can," says Tanya Smith, TCWR President.
So Turpentine Creek is stepping in to help the 34 cats.
"She's done a really good job of trying to take care of them but they really need to be taken care of by professionals," says Smith.
Two by two, workers at Turpentine Creek are loading up the felines and driving them almost two hours, to their new home in Eureka Springs.
"These animals are coming from a mountaintop where they are not seeing a lot of people. "We're all strangers to them," says Smith.
So of course, these guys are a little on edge.
"He's scared you're seeing an animal on a first rescue and we just got back. This is the most dangerous part we're doing is the rescue part," she explains.
But a risk that's worth it.
"It's very important that they're not put down mostly because they are an endangered species," says Smith.
But saving them comes at a price.
"We did some hard figuring on it and just to bring these animals in it's going to cost us about 200-thousand dollars," says Smith.
Turpentine Creek is hoping the funds will roll in from donations.
Click here to donate to the cause via the TCWR website. (Look for the yellow gold donate button near the top of the page).
Click here to watch this report.
The big cats, including 30 tigers, two cougars and two leopards have been under the care of a 72-year-old woman in Mountainburg.
"She's been in this area for 21 years with big cats and it's just a shame that she's out there in the condition she is and we really feel for her and we want to help her the best way we can," says Tanya Smith, TCWR President.
So Turpentine Creek is stepping in to help the 34 cats.
"She's done a really good job of trying to take care of them but they really need to be taken care of by professionals," says Smith.
Two by two, workers at Turpentine Creek are loading up the felines and driving them almost two hours, to their new home in Eureka Springs.
"These animals are coming from a mountaintop where they are not seeing a lot of people. "We're all strangers to them," says Smith.
So of course, these guys are a little on edge.
"He's scared you're seeing an animal on a first rescue and we just got back. This is the most dangerous part we're doing is the rescue part," she explains.
But a risk that's worth it.
"It's very important that they're not put down mostly because they are an endangered species," says Smith.
But saving them comes at a price.
"We did some hard figuring on it and just to bring these animals in it's going to cost us about 200-thousand dollars," says Smith.
Turpentine Creek is hoping the funds will roll in from donations.
Click here to donate to the cause via the TCWR website. (Look for the yellow gold donate button near the top of the page).
Click here to watch this report.
