Home at last! Four new tigers finally get their happily ever after. Meet them inside!
Building a better life. Big cats deserve BIG enclosures. It’s not easy but they’re worth it!
You can be a WildCat Warrior! See back cover for details.
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Feb 2017
What’s up at WildCat Ridge? Ridge
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Four big, beautiful boy tigers have a way of stealing headlines (and hearts!) but there’s a lot going on at WildCat Ridge Sanctuary! Last year, we also
rescued several hybrids and they are settling in riends, f Dear f o n o i it nicely in their secure indoor/outdoor home. he add 17 With t 0 2 , rs ew tige We’re getting through the t! four n G star I B a to winter without any significant ave is off d to h u o r p o s problems so far. The bigger cats uge We are this h f o t r pa 4) tend to enjoy the snow, but been a on pg. s l i a t e d ( everybody has protected areas ese rescue give th o t d e l ril and covered dens to snuggle in. ever and th appily h r i e h The domestics and hybrids have dn’t boys t e coul w t u B s heated buildings as well. after. enerou g t u o h t i w . do it In October, we attended the second Big Cat Sanctuary Workshop ike you l s r e t r ! e l b i s suppo s in Denver, Colorado, hosted by the International Fund for all po ake it f m o u o m Y tto Animal Welfare (IFAW), in collaboration with the the bo m o r f ! u o So y ank Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). rt... th a e h y r m Tulle Open to sanctuary professionals who display a Cheryl tor c e ir D . ec consistent commitment to providing legitimate nder, Ex Co-fou
Stolen from their mothers when they were just days old...
Forced to be props for tourist photos...
and quality sanctuary to big cats in need, the
conference addresses how to increase capacity, improve quality of care, and increase institutional sustainability for big cats in sanctuaries throughout the United States. Also in 2016, we received accreditation from Tigers In America, one of the nation’s leading advocacy groups for captive-born tigers. And we’ve already got big plans for 2017...
Neglected for years in tiny concrete and chain link cages...
On Saturday, May 20, we’re hosting an old-fashioned Spring Hoedown at Bob’s Red Mill, just south of Portland, Oregon. If you live in the area or plan on visiting, we hope you’ll join us for an evening of live music, drinks, dancing, dinner, auctions and tons of fun. You can buy your tickets in advance at WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org/tickets. Yee-haw!
Make your tax-deductible donation today at WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org! WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, is a 501(c)3 lifetime sanctuary for captive-born wildcats. We are accredited by the American Sanctuary Association (ASA), Tigers in America (TIA) and verified by The Global Federal of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) following strict guidelines and standards to provide the best care possible for our captive-born wildcat rescues. WCR receives no state or federal funding, relying on our generous donors and sponsors to help us with our mission of hope and compassion.
Trapped with no love, no joy and no hope. Until one day when everything changed...
Calvin is a very outgoing tiger, who loves to play and enjoys his natural habitat. Because of an improper diet as a cub, he has lingering issues of Metabolic Disease. We have him on special supplements and he’s doing much better!
Weighing in at about 400 pounds, Atticus is the largest of all the tigers at WCR and he has a personality as big as he is! He is very dominant and reminds us every day that tigers are not pets! He lives with his brother Scout.
Happily ever after! WildCat Ridge is thrilled to have been part of a huge rescue effort in 2016! Working with Tigers In America, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, we stepped up to provide a loving, lifetime home to four tigers. In all, more than 100 animals were saved from a life of misery and despair at a notorious roadside zoo. Our boys have settled into their new homes beautifully, gaining weight, getting stronger and finally enjoying life! While we couldn’t be happier about these new boys, we know that thousands more wildcats are waiting for their happily ever after. Together, we can save even more.
Want to sponsor one of the boys? Find out how on the back page.
Scout is an easygoing fellow who generally defers to his big brother, Atticus. Like all the tigers at WildCat Ridge, he loves to run and play with his enrichment (sanctuary talk for toys). We think his smile says it all!
Hobbes lives with Calvin and is the more dominant of the two. Although it was naughty Calvin who bit off a piece of Hobbes’ tail when they were cubs! He doesn’t seem to miss it and they get along beautifully today.
Be a wildcat warrior! Make your tax-deductible donation today! WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org
Building a better life for wildcats. In the wild, a tiger’s range can extend up to 150 square miles. A cougar’s range can be up to 350 square miles! These animals are simply not meant to be confined. But because so many are captive born and spend their entire lives in tiny cages, they can never be released, even when they’re rescued. They simply would not know how to survive. So since they can’t be free, our goal is to provide them the space they need to feel as free as possible. Building giant enclosures that are safe for the animals and their human caretakers is challenging—and expensive. The cats can’t ask for help but we can! So please help us give them the life they deserve.
Meet Caden, our
special needs cougar. When Caden was just a few days old, he was taken from his mother to be sold as a “pet.” As you might expect, this didn’t work out well – it seldom does for captive-born cougars. He was not given proper food, housing or veterinary care and developed a serious illness as a result. But Caden is one of the lucky ones. Instead of selling him to a roadside zoo or leaving him to die, his owners asked if we could take him. It wasn’t until we picked him up that we realized just how sick he was. Caden was diagnosed with Feline Panleukopenia and almost died. But with 24/7 intensive medical care, we helped him beat the odds and survive! The disease left him with neurological damage that has given him a funny walk, but it doesn’t slow him down one bit! Caden lives with another cougar, Cookie, and they have become good friends. This is one special needs boy who lives life to the fullest. And proof that cougars, like all wildcats, do not make good pets.
Saying goodbye...
Katie 2007-2016
Rescue work is a combination of incredible highs and heartbreaking lows. In November of 2016, we experienced a devastating loss. Our beloved Katie went into kidney failure and we had no choice but to let her go, quietly and peacefully, with the people who loved her by her side. We knew she suffered from kidney disease (probably due to inbreeding) but, at just nine years old, we expected her to be with us for many years to come. Since her arrival in 2012, Katie demanded our respect and showed us every day that wild means wild. She was precocious, stubborn, silly, brave, fearless and all tiger! She loved to play with her enrichment but was all business at feeding time. We learned very quickly not to look at her while she was eating because she saw it as a challenge and would charge the fence! She was wild and unpredictable and we loved her just the way she was. Katie deserved to be free and now she truly is. But she will live in our hearts forever. One of our keepers, Tiffany Lopez, was so attached to Katie, she memorialized her passing with this beautiful tattoo. We think Katie would appprove.
Be a wildcat warrior! Make your tax-deductible donation today! WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org
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Show the tigers some love... and they’ll send some back! For just $50 a month, you can be the official sponsor of Atticus, Scout, Calvin or Hobbes. And let’s not forget the girls: Shirley and Nora need a fairy godmother or godfather too! Your sponsorship will help pay for the high quality food they eat, plus veterinary care, enrichment and so much more. In return, you’ll receive an 8x10 photograph of your tiger, frequent updates on how your tiger is doing and an original tiger painting and WildCat Warrior T-shirt with your full one-year sponsorship payment!
For just $50 a month, you can sponsor anyone of our beautiful rescued tigers:
Atticus
Scout
Calvin
Hobbes
Shirley
Nora
Calling all WildCat Warriors! We believe some of the biggest unsung heroes in animal rescue are people like you, who quietly and generously support sanctuaries like ours. You fight for what’s right, to end suffering and give wildcats a chance to live happy, pain-free lives. You don’t do it for the fame or the glory; but we think you deserve some recognition! So we’ve created this limited-edition T-shirt just for you. It’s your gift with a donation of $100 or more. We hope you’ll wear it with pride and show the world the warrior for wildcats that you truly are.
Purrs, chirps and chuffs from all the cats at WildCat Ridge!
Our gift to you
with your $100 donation. Hurry! Quantities are limited!
Please donate today at WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org!