EFRC

Today, Zatch, Nicki, and I went to the "Exotic Feline Rescue Center" about an hour away from us. It was a fun drive and when we first got there, there was a collective groan of disgust because the parking lot was so muddy and there was a putrid odor lingering in the air. Mainly, the disgust was because we were all wearing nice(r) shoes, a silly thing to do when thinking of this in hindsight.

 Yet, once we got within the compound where the "big cats" resided, it became clear (at least to me) that we were in for a real treat. Majestic tigers and lions, gorgeous cougars and bobcats, and a few leopards here and there. The facility is home to over 220 exotic felines, most of them tigers. Tigers were what we saw the most of but they weren't necessarily the show stealing feature. I'm sure Zatch and Nicki have their favorites, but my personal favorite was the bobcat that slapped my hand through her cage as a snapped a photo of her. While bobcats are not my favorite big cat (tigers are), this cutie left a lasting impression on me. The tigers themselves were stunning, most of them sharing their pens with others, meaning they were introduced to each other at young ages or came to the Rescue Center together from their broken homes. Many of them have personality, some enjoying the attention of people fussing over how beautiful they are. Sophia rolled over for us and then approached the fence, almost as if she wanted to be pet even though such things are prohibited (understandably so... see picture three for an idea as to why). Raja, an awnry male tiger, apparently loves to lure people in with attention seeking sounds only to angrily lash out, perhaps due to the disappointment that visitors lacked food. He was (is) also a notorious sprayer and he attempted to spray us several times as we learned more about his neighboring residents.   

Also part of the tour, and an important aspect of our education, were the back stories of some of the resident felines. Horrid tales of abuse and neglect from people who thought owning a pet tiger, lion, or cougar was like having a car. Many of the felines come to the Rescue Center malnourished and abused. Some are even victims to botched surgeries such as declawing. A cougar named Autumn was one of these victims and it was evident in the way she walked around the paddock, favoring each step ever so slightly. She still maintained her grace, but it was easy to tell that what her owner did had detrimental, lasting effect. There was another declawing that was done by the owner, a person (scum) who had no idea what he was doing and he caused irreparable damage. The lioness Kisa was malnourished because her owner thought it was suitable to feed her cat food as a cub instead of milk, permanently distorting her sense of balance and ability to travel as easily as the others.

Speaking of Kisa (pictured left), she shares her paddock with an unlikely friend, a tiger named Max. While I was unable to snap any pictures of him, he was nearby on top of an impressive-three-tiered jungle gym of sorts, observing us as we crowded around Kisa, learning about her and enjoying her ferocious roaring. We learned that the two share an inseparable friendship, often grooming each other and frolicking. And Max, weighing almost three-hundred pound more than Kisa, dares not get in her space when she is cranky. We learned that she is the boss of the pair and he knows not to mess with her. Men should take note, yes? There were other things mentioned that reinforced my knowledge. For instance, white tigers are not a natural feline. They are manufactured (not like robots... think genetically) by man. Because of this, inbreeding is a pretty big problem and they face some pretty daunting challenges as they mature. I learned that breeders will dispose of ones that are not black and white. Even though the chocolate striped one we encountered today is considered rare, she was discarded because she did not meet the breeder's criteria. Now a question: why are there tiger breeders? For the most part, they are an 'underground' sort of faction and because what they do is so 'gray area', the end result is deformities commonly associated with inbreeding.

Our visit was wonderful. The felines were all beautiful and some were more engaging than others, but every last one of them tugged at my heart-strings. Someone thought they could handle them and they, in the end could not. When they were caught, the penalties were barely a slap on the wrist, even when the neglect and abuse yielded costly results. The men and women of The Exotic Feline Rescue Center deserve praise. They aren't doing what they do for money or fame. They are volunteers, offering their valuable time and energy because they care about these animals. Their involvement isn't glamorous. It is hard work. It isn't thankless though. Beyond the scope of people, like us, who come to see the beautiful cats, they have a large group of exotic felines that are thankful. These are the lucky ones. And many more will find their way to the Rescue Center. There, they will find a home where they have the space to relax and the chance to live abuse-free.

These, folks, are what heroes look like.

(sorry, no pictures)

~Chico