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Animal Sanctuary Day
07/01/2021TCWR is a true sanctuary that rescues abused and neglected big cats and bears. Come visit us on Animal Sanctuary Day to see why supporting true sanctuaries is so important.
International Tiger Day
07/29/2021Join Turpentine Creek staff and interns on July 29th to help raise awareness about the declining tiger population. A hundred years ago, 100,000 tigers roamed Asia. Today fewer than 4,000 remain in the wild. Come and take part in fun and educational activities to learn how you can help save tigers all across the world.
National Cat Day
10/29/2021Come 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.
National Black Cat Day
11/17/2021Black cats, domestic and wild, are commonly thought to be bad luck or bad omens. Here at TCWR we are home to one black, or melanistic, leopard named Spyke. Come visit us to learn how to help black cats of all shapes and sizes, including Spyke!
Endangered Species Day
05/16/2021Staff and interns of TCWR are taking part in Endangered Species Day! Come join us as we learn about the importance of national and international conservation efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats all around the world.
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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
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 #11
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 #12
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 #13
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 #14
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 #15
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 #16
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 #17
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 #18
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 #19
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.
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