When you visit Turpentine, you might notice some differences in the habitats that our animal residents call home. There are three different habitat designs that house different species.
First, we have our basic big cat habitat. These habitats are large. The fencing is 12 ft high with a 3 ft jump guard. This is USDA regulation. This fencing ensures that none of our big cats can get out of their habitats. Big cats like tigers and lions are not physically able to jump high vertically; they are too heavy to clear that 15 ft height. These habitats will have one or two nighthouses with dens attached. During the winter, there is heat in our dens for our lions and our older cats. They generally hold one or two big cats, depending on the situation. In certain cases, we’ve had four big cats living together!
Second, we have our small cat habitat. These habitats are smaller and taller. These habitats will always have a roof over the top. This is due to the cats being able to jump and climb well. Our servals can jump up to 10 ft in the air and catch birds mid-flight. Leopards and jaguars can climb trees and can carry 3-5 times their weight up a tree. These habitats are built to give them lots of room to move, jump, and climb, like they would in the wild. Typically, the habitats connect to a building. This building is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. Our bobcat habitats are designed to give them many hiding places, similar to out in the wild. These habitats can hold more than one or two cats; our biggest serval habitat currently houses five cats!
The last habitat to mention is for our bears! Bears are both climbers and diggers, so their habitats need some additional safety measures. All of our bear habitats have electric fencing. Our black bears are incredible climbers, so the electric fencing prevents them from scaling the fence. Down at Rescue Ridge, in our all-natural bear habitats, the electric shock gets more intense going up the fencing. For our brown bears, they like to dig. So we have fencing and cement going into the ground, preventing them from digging out of their habitat. Our bears also have nighthouses and dens, which is important for their winter hibernation. Our Rescue Ridge all-natural habitats can hold several bears; the larger one currently has three bears and the smaller one has two bears.
Each different habitat design allows us to make sure each species that lives at the refuge receives the specific care it needs. It also ensures that our animals have a safe and comfortable place to live. Our animals spend their lives with us and we want to give them the longest, healthiest, and happiest lives we can, starting with their living space. So next time you visit, see if you can spot all three types of habitats!
*Published by Clementine Mulvihill on 4/2/2022*