Carolina Tiger Rescue facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1973 (Official) |
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| Location | Pittsboro, North Carolina, United States |
| Land area | 67 acres (27 ha) |
| Website | www.carolinatigerrescue.org |
Carolina Tiger Rescue is a special place in Pittsboro, North Carolina. It's a non-profit sanctuary for wild cats. They rescue animals like tigers, lions, cougars, and leopards. They also care for smaller wild cats such as caracals, servals, and bobcats.
Each year, over 20,000 people visit the sanctuary. They come for guided tours, school trips, and summer camps. The main goal of Carolina Tiger Rescue is to save and protect wild cats. This includes cats living in captivity and those in the wild. They hope for a future where wild cats can live freely in their natural homes. They also work to stop people from taking advantage of these animals. Carolina Tiger Rescue is approved by important groups like the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and the USDA.
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How Carolina Tiger Rescue Started
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Carolina Tiger Rescue began in 1973. It was first called The Carnivore Evolutionary Research Institute. Dr. Michael Bleyman, a scientist from UNC, started it. He wanted to study and protect meat-eating animals called carnivores. These animals were very important for their ecosystems. Dr. Bleyman hoped to keep these animals safe until their natural homes were protected again.
In 1981, the name changed to Carnivore Preservation Trust (CPT). CPT became known for successfully breeding certain wild cats. These included servals, ocelots, and binturongs.
Later, people learned more about how important these wild cats are. Groups started making plans to help species survive. These plans included keeping track of animal numbers and breeding. Because of this, Carnivore Preservation Trust stopped breeding wild cats in 2000. In 2009, they changed their name to Carolina Tiger Rescue. Their new main goal became rescuing animals in need.
Amazing Rescue Stories
Carolina Tiger Rescue has helped many wild cats. Here are a few of their stories:
Aria the Tiger
Aria was rescued in May 2013. Authorities took her from a family in South Carolina. She was about 10 years old and very sick. She had lost a lot of weight and was close to dying. When Aria arrived, she weighed less than half of what a healthy tiger should. But with good vet care, healthy food, and proper attention, Aria became a strong, healthy tiger again.
Rajah and Kaela
Rajah and Kaela Tiger were found wandering near Charlotte, North Carolina. They were only about six months old. It's a mystery how they ended up on a country road!
Nitro the Blind Tiger
Nitro was a tiger who couldn't see. He arrived at the sanctuary in 2009 with his friend, Apache. They were rescued from a junkyard in Kansas. A lion there had attacked a person. The lions were moved to a zoo, and a new home was needed for the two tigers. Luckily, Carolina Tiger Rescue was able to take them in. A book about Nitro was even written by National Geographic Kids!
Learning Programs
Carolina Tiger Rescue has many ways to teach people. They offer tours, school field trips, and programs for homeschoolers. They also have story time for younger kids and presentations for groups. College students can even do internships there.
One of their main goals is to teach people about the dangers of owning wild cats as pets. They also explain why circuses and other ways of using wild animals are harmful. Another important goal is to protect wild animals in their natural homes. They do this by showing how palm oil farming hurts tiger habitats.
Keeping Everyone Safe
Carolina Tiger Rescue is a "no-touch" facility. This means visitors cannot touch the animals. They follow strict safety rules from the USDA and US Fish and Wildlife. These rules help keep both animals and people safe.
Guests must always have a staff member with them during tours. Visitors stay at least three feet away from the animal enclosures. Employees and trained volunteers can briefly enter some smaller animal enclosures. This is for cleaning and care. But they are very careful not to interact with these wild animals. All staff and volunteers get lots of training before working with the animals.
Working Together
Carolina Tiger Rescue works with many different groups. They partner with universities, environmental groups, and other sanctuaries. They also work with businesses.
For nearly 20 years, they have helped the WildTrack project. This project collects information from tiger footprints. This helps scientists learn about tigers without disturbing them. Carolina Tiger Rescue also helped start the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance (BCSA) in 2017. This group only includes real wildlife sanctuaries. The BCSA works to stop people from owning wild cats as pets. They also fight against the commercial use of wild cats in the US. Staff members also join local groups like the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). Some money for the sanctuary comes from donations through Earth Share of North Carolina.
Important Approvals
Carolina Tiger Rescue has received high ratings from groups like Guidestar and Great Nonprofits. Great Nonprofits has called them a top non-profit organization since 2018. They are also approved by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and the USDA. These approvals show that Carolina Tiger Rescue is a trustworthy and well-run sanctuary.
