View All Programs & Activites
International Homeless Animals Day
08/15/2020Here at TCWR, we rescue animals from abusive and neglectful places. Many times, they come to us because they do not have anywhere else to go. Once they are here, we are their forever home. Come visit us and learn about our animal residents and the stories that brought them to us.
National Wildlife Day
09/04/2020Come visit us at TCWR to celebrate National Wildlife Day with our animal residents! As you visit with us, you will learn all about the 10 species that call Turpentine Creek home!
World Animal Day
10/04/2020Join us to celebrate the animals that live at TCWR and their wild counterparts! World Animal Day encourages education to help make the world that we live in a better and safer place for all animals!
National Cat Day
10/29/2020Come visit us at TCWR on October 29th and join us in celebrating International Cat Day! This is a day used to raise awareness for homeless domestic cats of all species and backgrounds, and to explore ways to help and protect them. Here at TCWR, we are a forever home to exotic cats. But, there is an ever growing problem of homeless domesticated cats in neighborhoods all around the world. Come join us in finding solutions to some of the issues that our feline friends, wild and domestic, are facing.
World Lion Day
08/10/2020Join us at TCWR on August 10th for World Lion Day, to celebrate the life of these majestic big cats and discover how we can help save them. Unfortunately due to poaching and habitat loss, the world’s Lion population is in grave danger. We all have a role to play in their protection whether you live here in the United States or around the world, they need us to help ensure their survival. Join TCWR staff as we discover how we can help keep them wild.
View EventTeacher Resources
Fun Fact #1
Just because tigers are the largest cat species doesn’t mean they are slow. These cats can reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour at full speed.
Fun Fact #2
There is no true black panther species. This is an umbrella term used to describe melanistic leopards and jaguars. They have an increased amount of dark pigmentation in their fur, but still have spots like the normal colored species!
Fun Fact #3
Apex predators are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. They are essential for a healthy ecosystem. Without them, there would be an overabundance of other animals.
Fun Fact #4
American black bears can easily lift their body to climb trees due to their smaller size. They have short, round claws allowing them to scale the trees with ease.
Fun Fact #5
As the only social cats, lions will sometimes hunt together to have a more significant kill. Females will do most of the hunting but males will go hunt larger prey. When the hunt is over, the food is brought back to the pride. Males will eat first, followed by females, and then cubs. They will hunt more at night as they have terrific night vision.
Fun Fact #6
Brown bears are powerful, top of the food chain predators. Weighing upwards to 1,000 pounds they have strong muscles that allow them to dig, as well as, lift large objects. Their size doesn’t slow them down, as they can run up to 30 miles per hour.
Fun Fact #7
Servals have the largest ears in relation to their body of any cat. Their ears can move independently of each other making it easy for them to listen to different sounds. They can locate small mammals moving through the grass or even underground! They can sometimes hunt their prey without seeing it until the final pounce.
Fun Fact #8
Bobcats are elusive animals rarely seen by humans. Although close in appearance bobcats can double in size of an average house cat. As an average size wild cat they tend to prey on rabbits and birds but occasionally they can bring down a deer.
Fun Fact #9
Coatimundis are an arboreal species, spending most of their lives in the trees. They are also omnivorous and have a wide ranging diet that can include insects, fruits, nuts, and sometimes even small rodents.
Fun Fact #10
Rhesus macaques, like Goober our primate resident, live in groups of about 100 members or more! That’s one BIG family. Goober lives by himself at TCWR so we offer him a television. He loves to watch cartoons, like Curious George and Dora the Explorer!
Fun Fact #11
Cougars are able to jump 18 feet high from a sitting position. They can also leap 40 feet horizontally! Their muscular back legs allow them to make the great leaps while their large paws help distribute the force of the landing.
Fun Fact #12
Hybrids, like ligers, are not found in the wild. They are bred in captivity to draw a crowd. These animals can suffer from health problems due to unnatural breeding.
Fun Fact #13
Leopards can jump into a tree from 10 feet off the ground! What’s really amazing is they can do this with prey 3x their weight in their mouth!
Fun Fact #14
Bears are omnivorous, to ensure that our bears receive a proper balanced diet, they are fed a wide variety of grains, oats, fruits, vegetables, and fats
Fun Fact #15
Grizzly bears have claws that can be up to 5 inches long! These claws are shaped like shovels and are used for a variety of things. Digging or foraging for food and building dens are some of the most common uses!
Fun Fact #16
Many animals have camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. This cryptic coloration is used to disguise their appearance. For big cats, it allows them to be stealthy while hunting!
Fun Fact #17
When lions roar together, it is called caroling! These roars can be heard 5 miles away. It is used to communicate with lions nearby whether it be with their pride or competing lions.
Fun Fact #18
Tigers make a noise called a chuff, or a prusten, and it is a friendly noise that tigers make when they want to say hello! Most of our residents, tigers especially, are chatty cats and talk to us. So, staff and interns will actually chuff back at them and the cats love it!
Fun Fact #19
White nosed coatis, like Turpentine Creek’s resident Flip, are smaller mammals closely related to raccoons. They are excellent climbers and adjust the way they climb based on what is around. Flip has lots of climbing apparatuses in her habitat.
Fun Fact #20
Many of the cats at TCWR love cooler weather. They will get a thick winter coat that allows them to withstand the dropping temperatures. The African cats do not like the cold and tend to stay in their den where it is warm.
Our Mission
To provide lifetime refuge for abused and neglected “Big Cats” with emphasis on tigers, lions, leopards, and cougars. Through public education we work to end the Exotic Animal Trade, making sanctuaries like Turpentine Creek no longer necessary; together, we can preserve and protect these magnificent predators in the wild for our children’s future.
Latest Article
