PITTSBORO — Carolina Tiger Rescue now counts four celebrity cats among its newest residents: rescued tigers from Tiger King Park, the Oklahoma private zoo made famous in a Netflix true-crime series.
The tigers were among 68 big cats seized from the complex last month in a large-scale rescue by the U.S. Dept. of Justice and several accredited sanctuaries, including Carolina Tiger Rescue. The cats included lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids and a jaguar, according to CTR officials.
The operation was the latest in a series of federal interventions as part of a months-long investigation into “Endangered Species Act violations” at Jeff and Lauren Lowe’s Tiger King Park, a CTR release said. In early May, “a judge found the couple in contempt for failing to comply with court orders to employ a qualified veterinarian and establish a program of veterinary care for the animals,” according to the Associated Press.
The facility and animals are most famous, though, for their prominent role in the Netflix show, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” which explored an investigation into the park’s former zookeeper. Joseph Maldonado-Passage — better known as Joe Exotic, an eccentric, mullet-sporting, cultural sensation, singer and one-time presidential candidate — is now serving a 22-year prison sentence for attempted murder.
Carolina Tiger Rescue is caring for the four tigers in its possession while the Justice Department seeks their permanent forfeiture.
“While in Carolina Tiger Rescue’s care, they will receive the best in veterinary care, diets, daily enrichment and enclosure space and design,” Louise Orr, the sanctuary’s communications director, said in a release.
Orr declined a News + Record request for further comment on the specifics of CTR’s involvement in the rescue operation or on any of the tigers’ details, such as names and genders. Despite a challenging year navigating the pandemic, though, she emphasized to the News + Record that CTR has not pared down any of its care services.
“The cats never noticed a difference in their care,” she said. “They were and continue to be happy, healthy and well-cared for.”
With the addition of Tiger King’s four tigers, Carolina Tiger Rescue now cares for 44 big cats, which Orr says it has received from shuttered zoos, backyard breeders, private owners and the entertainment industry. CTR, located at 1940 Hanks Chapel Rd., is not a zoo; its cats are never taken from the wild.
“All in all, we believe that wild cats should never be exploited or kept as private pets,” Orr said. “They are wild animals that deserve the utmost care and respect, which is what we strive to give them at Carolina Tiger Rescue. They didn’t ask for a captive life, so we want to make sure they can live the rest of their lives in peace. We are here for them, not the other way around.”
Carolina Tiger Rescue is North Carolina’s only federally and GFAS (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries)-accredited big cat sanctuary. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit funded mostly through donations and visitor ticket prices. When the pandemic began, the sanctuary was forced to suspend its tours, and revenue plummeted.
“During the height of the pandemic, it was a pretty substantial loss because we do rely on tour tickets as a significant source of revenue for us,” Orr said. “But our supporters really rallied around us during that time and helped us with a number of different fundraisers that we held during quarantine ...”
Despite financial strain, CTR reopened cautiously after it was discovered COVID-19 infects and afflicts many cat species much like it does humans.
“It manifests very similarly to the way it manifests in humans,” Orr said. “(T)hey tend to suffer from an upper respiratory infection and things like a loss of appetite and cough, but so far, all of the animals who have contracted it have recovered. They seem to be easily able to pass it amongst one another and can contract it from humans who are either asymptomatic or symptomatic.”
So far, no animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue have contracted COVID-19, Orr pointed out, and staff hope to keep it that way. All visitors must wear masks despite the loosening of statewide mask mandates.
“That being said, we are very glad that tours are back at full capacity,” Orr said, “and folks who are looking to visit and support us can do so in a variety of different ways.”
Carolina Tiger Rescue offers public tours, private tours and twilight tours through the end of summer. Starting on July 22, CTR will host its second Tiger Day 5k virtual fun run in celebration of International Tiger Day on July 29. To learn more about the week-long event, guided tours or how you can donate, visit www.CarolinaTigerRescue.org.
Reporter D. Lars Dolder can be reached at dldolder@chathamnr.com and on Twitter @dldolder.