Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Oakland Zoo and Lions Tigers & Bears rescued four big cats from a drive-thru roadside zoo in northeast Oklahoma on Friday, June 10. The Oklahoma facility was once open to the public and offered cub petting and photo opportunities but was shut down by the USDA in 2008 after multiple safety and welfare violations. The four big cats were the sole remaining animals at the abandoned property. The zoo and its owner are reported to have ties to the infamous “Joe Exotic” from the Netflix docu-series “Tiger King.”

 

The rescued cats included an elderly lion that require immediate medical attention, a tiger hybrid with a facial wound and bowed legs and two tigers with lean bodies and housed in separate enclosures. The lion was sent to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the tiger hybrid was sent to Oakland Zoo in Oakland, California and one tiger was sent to Oakland Zoo while the other is now at Lions Tigers & Bears in Alpine, California.

 

“These big cats were living in small, filthy enclosures. Shelter was provided but was terribly weathered and rotten,” Tanya Smith, President and Founder of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, says.  “Aside from some good Samaritans, they were left alone, fed inconsistently, and needed veterinary care. We’re so relieved to provide new homes to these animals and help them thrive.”

 

“We are always ready and willing to collaborate with other accredited facilities when the need for rescue arises,” Emily McCormack, Animal Curator at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, adds. “We must fight together to resolve the big cat crisis we are facing here in the United States. No animals should suffer or live in the deplorable conditions these animals had to endure. The lioness was subjected to solitude 24×7 for 7 years that we know of. It was simply inhumane.”

 

Oakland Zoo and Turpentine Creek conducted on-site animal evaluations for all four big cats and Lions Tigers & Bears used its self-contained animal rescue hauler to transport three of the cats to California. The three facilities have committed to providing the cats with proper habitat enclosures, species-specific diets, veterinary care and more. The facilities meet the highest standards required by the American Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). These certifications are held by the top sanctuaries in the nation that provide lifetime care for rescued animals. 

Find more information about Arkansas’ Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge here.

 

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