Strawberry Tiger

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In the habitat directly before you with the large den in the back, is BaBuVa, a female Tiger. BaBuVa, is known as a golden, or tabby, or strawberry-colored Tiger due to lighter coloration.  She and sixteen other Lions, Tigers and big cat hybrids as well as two Grizzly Bears were rescued by The Wild Animal Sanctuary from a facility in Indiana that was cited for dozens of violations of the Animal Welfare Act and Endangered Species Act.  With her, is a male Tiger named Duke - discovered as a cub in a crate when police investigated a call in Albuquerque. Though rescued separately, both Tigers have only known comfort and ease since their arrivals. Playing with another tiger for the first time in their lives, relaxing in the lush tall grass, or in the stream that runs through their large acreage habitat.

 

The Four Ring Habitats

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On your right are four ring habitats for some smaller animals. They were either recently rescued or are retiring from the excitement of a large habitat as they became older and required special accommodations. In the second ring live Bobcats - one coming from a private-owner situation and another rescued from a shopping mall in Des Moines, Iowa. Bobcats also live in the third ring, formerly used in a photography game farm operation. Finally, the fourth ring has an older Coyote from that same shopping mall and a female Coyote rescued from a private owner situation in California.

 

The Tigers in the Distance

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Directly to the east or behind the last ring lives two Tigers. ShereKhan and his sister, KiKi, came to The Wild Animal Sanctuary from a facility where they were used for paid photo opportunities for the first few months of their lives.  As a “photo cub”, they were subjected to a life of total exploitation where they were handled constantly after having been removed from their mother at birth - or shortly thereafter.  Now safe at TWAS, ShereKhan and Kiki live a wonderful life in this large habitat where they receive plenty of love, great care, nutritious food, and lots of enrichment.  Interestingly, while KiKi received the rare genetic make-up of a white Tiger, ShereKhan is a typically-colored orange Tiger. 

 

Texas Tiger

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Behind you, in the triangular habitat along the service road is a beautiful Tiger with a remarkable story named, “Nahla”. She was kept as a pet in Texas and managed to escape due to a rainstorm that flooded the building she resided. Nahla was found wondering the streets and the young Tiger was soon taken in by an animal shelter for temporary holding. On the morning she was to be transferred into Sanctuary care, a masked individual broke into the shelter and was allegedly looking for her! With all of this now well in the past, Nahla gets to live freely and peacefully in a natural habitat out here on the plains of Colorado.