NC sanctuary celebrates 50 years of giving wild cats (and a porcupine) the ‘best life’
Naveen paced excitedly across his tennis court-sized enclosure at Carolina Tiger Rescue before pausing to flick his tail at the group outside his 12-foot-tall fence.
The staff members deftly stepped aside, leaving a visitor confused.
“We both reacted, because that was a spraying behavior, marking territory,” Assistant Director Kathryn Bertok explained.
“He likes to fake, but in general, if they turn around and raise their tail and they hesitate for any bit, move to the side,” she said. “Don’t back up because they can spray really far behind them.”
Animals like Naveen have made Carolina Tiger Rescue their home for research, preservation and rehabilitation for 50 years, a milestone staff and volunteers recently celebrated.
Today, the center east of Pittsboro houses about 50 animals. That includes a raccoon, nine tigers, two lions, over a dozen servals, kinkajous, and an African crested porcupine named Fabio von Prickles.
The number of animals varies with new inhabitants, like a cougar recently relocated from a roadside zoo near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the death of others. Santana the serval, born at the sanctuary in 2003, recently died from heart failure and blood clots.
Bertok spoke as Naveen broke stride and bounded across the grass to playfully snap at a vulture venturing too close. Another tiger, Samar, rolled on the ground in the adjacent enclosure, happily mangling a crumpled, cardboard box.
“They all have different personalities, just like every other animal,” Bertok said. “We have some that are more outgoing, some that are more laid back, some that are more serious. And some that are a little more goofy.”
History of breeding and research
The center was founded in 1973 as the Carnivore Evolutionary Research Institute with a mission of breeding and studying key big-cat species. In 1981, it became the Carnivore Preservation Trust, adding a rescue program for captive animals.
The 1996 death of its founder, UNC geneticist Michael Bleyman, was almost a fatal blow, Bertok said. By 2003, the rescue had 273 animals, a $350,000 budget and $150,000 in debt. Breeding and rescues were suspended, and public tours were added to raise money.
“It was a part in our history that suddenly required a lot of reorganization,” Bertok said. “The founder was the person who had the passion and the direction (for) where the organization was going, and so it was a very hard transition.”
In 2005, two 6-month-old tiger cubs were found on a road near Charlotte, reigniting the sanctuary’s mission. Rajah died in 2021 but remains the sanctuary’s mascot; his lifelong friend, Kaela died, in 2017.
Renamed Carolina Tiger Rescue in 2009, the sanctuary gives big cats “the best life that they can have in this situation,” said N.C. State University professor Adam Hartstone-Rose, an expert in biological sciences and anatomical research who stopped by last month.
And today, Bertok said 21 people care for the cats and keep the nonprofit organization running, supported by 130 volunteers.
Hartstone-Rose, a former board member, has worked with staff on research projects for over 20 years, including recent studies about the effects of declawing big cats and how tigers have evolved in response to “soft food” diets common in captivity.
Both studies showed dramatic changes, he said, and one has inspired more zoos to feed carcasses to big cats instead of ground meat and vitamin supplements, providing more natural stimulation and avoiding detrimental changes to their teeth, gums, and skull size.
Declawing — a painful practice of removing the first bone on each toe — often happens to big cats kept for public entertainment and photo opportunities, he said. But it also causes major physical changes, reducing forelimb strength by 46% to 66% and forcing tigers to carry more of their weight on smaller paws, the study found.
The biggest stress that big cats at Carolina Tiger Rescue have is “sneaking up on these stupid birds,” Hartstone-Rose said.
A higher standard of care
Tigers are threatened by habitat loss and poaching, among other dangers, and only live about 15 years in the wild. Since 2010, a global effort has grown their numbers worldwide to more than 5,500, according to the Global Tiger Forum.
In captivity, they live up to 25 years with adequate food, shelter and medical care. Wild cats can eat six to 18 pounds of food five days a week, depending on their species and size, Bertok said.
Naveen and Samar were among four tigers that arrived in 2021 after a rescue at Tiger King Park in Oklahoma. Shailah, a rare white tiger whose “cinnamon” coloring reflects inbreeding, is one of their most prolific “pawcassos,” creating art to sell at fundraisers.
Tiger King keepers Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe were accused in a federal lawsuit of failing to provide adequate care, nutrition and shelter for 68 big cats and became the subject of a Netflix documentary series, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”
Carolina Tiger Rescue provides a stricter standard of care accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. As the state’s only wild cat sanctuary with GFAS accreditation, its staff, finances, programs, and safety protocols and training are regularly inspected.
Most animals are rescued from private owners and organizations, and each lives in an enclosure meeting its unique needs. Tigers and lions like solitude and play, while smaller cats have high perches, ramps and platforms so they can climb and see what’s around them.
In 2022, the organization reported raising more than $1.8 million in donations and grants, federal tax returns show.
Wild cats are predators, not pets
While wild cats can appear cuddly and cute, their nature makes them dangerous to keep as pets or for public interaction, Bertok said. She has seen big cats “stalk” sanctuary staff and visitors, including small children and adults who trip or appear injured, she said.
“They may absolutely want to play with you (but) your body is not made to put up with that. We don’t have the nails for it, we don’t have the fur for it, we are not strong enough. The amount of power they are going to exude, you are not going to match that,” Bertok said.
As a “100% no-contact” sanctuary, there are feeding shoots and gates to isolate a cat if the staff has to enter an enclosure, and everyone shelters when a cat is moved, such as for a medical procedure, she said. They are reducing those situations through operant conditioning, which rewards cats who present their paws for inspection, for instance, or submit to the poke of a needle.
Carolina Tiger Rescue “feeds them properly, cares for them properly, gives them the health care that they need,” Hartstone-Rose said, “but ultimately we hope that we will never have to deal with these animals again in captivity.”
The federal Big Cat Safety Act marked a big win over private ownership in 2022 when Congress made breeding, selling, trading, buying or privately owning big cats illegal. Before that, private ownership in North Carolina was not regulated.
It still isn’t for some species, including bears, primates and smaller wild cats, Bertok said, but Congress is considering a bipartisan bill that would ban buying, selling and private ownership of monkeys and other primates.
“These animals are meant to be wild,” she said.
How to get involved and see the cats
▪ Visit: Public tours and programs must be paid for and scheduled in advance.
▪ Donations are critical and can be made online at tinyurl.com/5n7bdkdp.
▪ Volunteer: Learn about requirements for becoming a volunteer at carolinatigerrescue.org/get-involved.
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This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 2:20 PM with the headline "NC sanctuary celebrates 50 years of giving wild cats (and a porcupine) the ‘best life’."
