Rescue Ridge is an area of habitats that is not available to the general public. This area was built in 2012 when a tiger breeder in Mountainburg Arkansas retired, and her animals were in need of being relocated. The Crawford County Sheriff’s office contacted us to orchestrate this rescue of 34 cats. Over 128 days, workers built 20 habitats to accommodate 28 of these animals in the secluded area known as Rescue Ridge.
The Habitats
Since Rescue Ridge was originally built, we have made some additions. In 2018, we completed the Rescue Ridge bear habitats. This project cost $150,000 and took 18 months. These habitats are the largest at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. These two habitats span three acres of wooded land, with 20-foot-high electric fencing and cement trenches enclosing them. These safety measures prevent the bears from climbing or digging their way out.
These bear habitats are incredibly special. They allow a very natural life for these captive bears. There are hundreds of trees to climb. They can forage around for berries, nuts, and other yummy vegetation, and even have a pool to swim around in. These habitats provide a constant source of enrichment for the bears.
The Residents
There are 5 bears that currently live down at Rescue Ridge in these habitats. Huggy, a Russian brown bear, lives with Holli and Lolli, two black bears, in one of the habitats. Black bears Xena and Koda share the other. Xena and Koda have their stretches of territory in the habitat and tend to respect the boundaries they have set. Koda chose her favorite tree in her habitat and often relaxes in it, visible from a distance. The bears will also build their own dens in the winter time.
Guests who take our specialty tours, the Carnivore Caravan tour or the Coffee with the Curator tour, can see these bear habitats.
*Published by Danika Torgersen on 8/24/2024*