Thoughts From the Intern

My internship with Carolina Tiger Rescue is almost over, and I am sad at the idea of leaving the amazing family of Carolina Tiger Rescue. I have benefited in so many ways through working here the last eight months, and in ways I never thought possible. I set extremely high standards for myself, and this means that I am constantly concerned that I am not doing my best or that I am not learning enough to be the best. I have done a lot of learning while at Carolina Tiger Rescue. For example, I have learned that throwing 15 lb chickens is extremely stressful when they get stuck at the top of the fence and you have a manic tiger ready to jump that fence in order to get to you or that chicken (whichever comes first). I have also learned that if something can go wrong, then it probably will. You will forget to shift a tiger, or you will spray water all over yourself in 25 degree F weather. You will also always be the girl to get a rack of ribs hooked at the top of the fence (this was last week). You will totally forget to keep up with logging your hours (oops),  and you will most definitely be at the bottom of the compound when you need the knife or shovel you left at the top. And you will absolutely leave work every day covered in chicken guts.

I've loved it.

This organization has really shown me how humans and animals can really be a family. While these animals ARE NOT pets and would most likely eat you given the chance, the bonds between the humans and animals here at Carolina Tiger Rescue are strong as well as inspiring. I've grown to know and love each of the animals we take care of, and it has been such a joy learning with them.

I remember being in middle school and going out to eat with friends and having to choose the table we sat at was stressful... I mean, how do you pick the right table for a group to sit at when you are 14? What if you end up in a crowded corner or you can't get away from that screaming baby? How do you decide that? While that seems like such a silly concept, I compare that young insecurity to the beginning of my internship. What if I mixed up the medication between cats? Will I always forget that stupid knife? Can I really go out and feed tigers all by myself? What if someone thinks my questions are silly? Being new to working with big cats was a little daunting at first because there is so much to learn. It's hard to be independent when you don't know what you're doing, and even more frustrating when you are chomping at the bit to catch up with those who already know so much. I've grown so independent in this internship: although I still forget that stupid knife sometimes, I rarely have to ask questions and I can make a lot of decisions easily and confidently. It's a really cool feeling to graduate to that level because you know you really are capable of taking care of these animals. Obviously skill comes with practice, but I didn't anticipate that this internship would make me feel so self-assured in all areas of my life. I can now pick the table to eat at with ease!

What won't be easy is leaving. I have no desire to leave any of the animals, but in particular the ones I've had bonding experiences with, from fence chats to near-misses of being clawed to watching animals recover from serious illnesses. I'll also desperately miss the insane and fun-loving staff and volunteers I've bonded with through these cats. As summer approaches, Carolina Tiger Rescue will be welcoming eight new interns, and although I'm jealous that they will be taking over, I'm confident that they too will learn and develop new passion and skills for these animals.

I plan to return for summer as a volunteer, so I'll be around pending I don't get accepted for some research assistant positions I've applied for. So in reality I'm not leaving yet, but my days of proudly boasting the Intern title are drawing to an end. I'm finishing my intern project and have more posts to put up here, so don't quit reading on me yet! There are plenty of funny stories as well as great pictures I'll be posting soon.

I'm graduating college in three weeks and I'm looking into the next steps for my career as a cat conservationist, but Carolina Tiger Rescue will always be home to me. Check back in the coming weeks for more photos and cool stories!

New Skills?

The new bobcat at Carolina Tiger has been trying to adjust for some time in his new environment... he just hasn't gotten used to his enormous enclosure yet, mostly due to the fact that his previous living conditions were about the size of a queen bed. Collins is pretty cool, however, and we hope that in time he will become less stressed and not pace so much. In preparation for making his new dig as cozy as possible, I spent some time on top of his thirty-some foot enclosure removing old shade tarps. The tarps were obviously useful at some point for shade form the hot North Carolina sun, but some of them have become thin and tattered and need to be replaced all over the compound. Tarp removal is just one of the many components of this internship, as captive management is not just about taking care of the animals themselves... you have to maintain the facility as well! This includes all sorts of unglamorous activity, of which I would consider climbing thirty feet on wobbly fence to be one of. However, I must have proved my ability at doing this, because through the close of winter I definitely became the tarp removal girl, and volunteers could see me doing all kinds of strange acrobatics on weekends removing torn and tattered tarps from the tops or sides of enclosures. I did have one interesting experience in which Ragsdale the caracal (who is a Level 3 on aggression... meaning that only keepers clean his enclosure because he is very fiesty) came and sat right below me on a particularly low part of the fence. Anyone who says these cats aren't smart is crazy, because I swear I saw the cogs in his head turning as he contemplated taking a bite out of my backside. Humor aside, managing enclosures in captivity is a constant chore, as there is always a need for replacing wood, updating doors and screws and hinges, and the obvious: making sure an animal cannot hurt himself or escape.

Websites of Interest

Check out these websites to learn about exotic cat conservation:

http://carolinatigerrescue.org/  I work here! It's a pretty snazzy place.

http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=home  I want to work here! Cheetahs are like the greyhound of the big cats.

http://www.panthera.org/  This organization does some cool stuff.

http://www.care2.com/click-to-donate/big-cats/  We click, big cat habitat is helped. It's free! Do this daily... can't hurt!

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm?fonzref=index.htm  Have you visited our national zoo?


http://www.animalvoice.com/home.htm  I am working with Dr. Liz von Muggenthaler this summer on cheetah bio-acoustics.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=11818011#!/group.php?gid=330346648179&ref=ts  This is a facebook group started by my Captive Animal Biology class to inform on current issues in conservation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/17/cheetahs-make-a-miraculou_n_503035.html  Great news for the cheetah!

Don't forget that 2010 is the Year of the Tiger.... How can you get involved in tiger conservation? It all starts with getting informed: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/weekinreview/07marsh.html

Black Tie and Tails Ball

Carolina Tiger Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit wildlife sanctuary whose mission is saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild. A 501(c)3 organization is one that does not run off of state or government funding, but that of donations and charitable giving. In an effort to support our greater than $750,000 annual budget, we host the Black Tie and Tails Ball every year to raise funds and awareness for the cats at Carolina Tiger Rescue.

Although this is not the only event we host, it is by far the largest and most talked about. Foremost, what a ton of fun! This year's third annual ball was hosted in Durham with the theme "Journey to India" in recognition and celebration of the history of tigers (it is, after all, the Year of the Tiger). It was a no-brainer that I was going to volunteer at this event, being that it easily combined two of my favorite things in the entire world: cats and fashion. What more could any young woman ask for than to contribute to the conservation of endangered cats and look awesome while doing it? If you haven't guessed, I am talking about saris! Saris are the beautiful Indian dresses worn by Indian women for centuries and the reason I am obsessed with Bollywood. Luckily,  I was able to borrow an authentic, traditional sari from a good friend so I would fit in for the night:

Practicing my swing on head curator Kathryn Burtok and development director Jennifer Brunk

My job for the evening was to greet guests in the traditional Indian fashion of being sprinkled with rose water. Careful to avoid silk, I had so much fun helping guests get excited for the silent and live auctions prepared for the evening. In the hour before dinner, guests bidded during the silent portion on various packages, events, and items donated for the cause. More than a few bidding competitions ensued, and everyone had a blast bidding and giving for the cats. During dinner, a traditional Indian dance group called the "Desi Girls" performed (please visit our facebook via the link at the top of the page for pictures of the entire evening), and afterwards the live auction began! The only experience I have with auctions is being able to talk as fast as the auctioneer, so I was on my toes working as a spotter for the bids flying around the room. From vacation getaways to hot air balloon rides to candlelit dinners in the garden at Carolina Tiger Rescue, our guests were amazing in their need to contribute to our animals. In addition to the auction items, we also raised money for our Fund A Cause, which was this year to raise $5000.00 for veterinary supplies and to help support our new part-time veterinarian Dr. Lassiter. With the doctor dragged on stage to help cheer on the bids, and with one non-bidding volunteer suddenly deciding to commit $1000, we raised over our mark!

The black tie event raised almost $20,000.00 for the animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue! Although I resisted the urge to buy, well, everything, I was blown away by the generosity of individuals who donated their vacation homes or services for our organization. A few individuals decided to offer their vacation homes for a weeklong vacation package in the middle of the auction! I was particularly fond of a few of the paintings commissioned by fans of our cats, and I plan to get back on track with my own paintings (perhaps next year you will see one of my own available during the event!). We were also lucky to have with us auctioneer Matt Holiday as well as NBC 17 news anchor Donald Jones (both are big fans of our animals!). The Indian-themed marketplace featured beautiful decor as well as games and picture opportunities for guests. One game included the purchase of a ticket for the chance to win one of three precious gems, while another offered prizes such as handmade locket and charm bracelet pieces with pictures of Carolina Tiger animals. Everyone looked great and had an amazing time contributing.

With the combined help of amazing staff and volunteers, sponsors, and the graciousness of our guests, we are able to care for the animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue! Thank you so much for supporting Carolina Tiger Rescue and for helping us have a blast with conservation!

The Desi Girls perform

Art and photography of our cats was auctioned during the event

Isabella Tiger

An entire month has come and gone without me saying a word about what's going on at Carolina Tiger Rescue! February is usually my favorite month because my birthday falls within those golden 28 days, but this past month has been pretty intense, as I've been pretty sick. Playing catch-up with school (and finally my blog!) has been nothing, however, to the bravery showed by Isabella Tiger:

Izzy came down with an intense urinary tract infection just before Christmas. She lost a lot of weight and muscle mass, and we were worried she would not pull through. Being an eighteen year old tigress means you aren't the pouncing hunter you once were, so Izzy's pulling through this intense infection was quite an accomplishment (especially since staff struggled to get medication into her system, as she wasn't eating. Darted antibiotics were used).

However, Izzy stopped eating about two weeks ago and lost even more muscle mass on her small, elderly frame. Keepers and staff scheduled a veterinary visit with new part-time veterinarian Dr. Lassiter. The expectation was that she might need to be humanely euthanized due to suspected kidney failure (from a combination of old age and constant medication with phenobarbital- the anti-seizure medication Izzy has been on her entire life). But, when the veterinarian and staff arrived at her enclosure on the day of the scheduled appointment, Izzy was up on her feet and happily greeting her guests with her usual enthusiasm. The diagnosis ruled out terminal illness at present, and with Izzy's condition stable, she is still on tour and awaits visits.

What this means: Izzy is by no means in great shape. She is an old lady! She wobbles a bit and eats the way anyone's 90 year old grandmother would: like a bird (or, in this case, she only eats one bird). However, with her medication and the watchful eyes of keepers and awesome volunteers, Izzy's health is stable and she is as social as ever. The issue remains, however, that she will get sick again and be unable to recover due to her conditions. We find at Carolina Tiger Rescue that these cats are built to NOT show wear and tear-- that is, we are sometimes unaware that a cat is not feeling well until they show us signs, and they may not do so for quite some time. These amazing predators do not show weakness well, as in the wild showing such weakness would result in possible predation from another stronger rival. Although we offer the best care possible in captivity for our rescued cats, old age and complications such as organ failure, cancer, or lifetime diseases and conditions (such as epilepsy) cannot be prevented. We work to treat these illnesses to the best of our ability, and Izzy remains a great example of how resilient these animals are in addition to what modern medicine provides.

Updates

I have been MIA due to being extremely busy and now pretty sick. Here are a few quick updates:

Most important, we just rescued a bobcat! This little guy is our first bobcat and he was brought in from Beech Mountain, NC. He is currently in quarantine and will be for the next thirty days to monitor his health and ensure he does not introduce any virus or illness to our other cats. Formerly known as Bubba, the new guy was a pet for ten years and was declawed on all four feet. He is, however, pretty feisty and luckily has zero desire to be touched. He has been living in a very small confinement for the last few months and the area provided in our quarantine is more than four times the size of his old living arrangements. He will most likely be placed in one of our old leopard enclosures with lots of rocks, platforms, and trellis-like framework to jump and climb on. He is a smaller bobcat and I was lucky enough to help place him into quarantine last week. He immediately came out of the kennel and was fairly confident in slinking around. He quickly became enraptured by a plastic tube and walked in and out of it, rubbed on it, and moved it about. He also turned himself inside out on what we guessed was a spot of residue bleach on the floor (Cats strangely like bleach. However, do not allow your cats to drink, play, or inhale it. For obvious reasons.). The faint scent caused him to roll around and rub his face in his paws.

He does not yet have a new name. My suggestions have been Native American names since bobcats are prevalent in Native American mythology. Anything is better than Bubba!

I am also looking into traveling to South Africa this summer to work on a project with reintroducing white lions back into the wild. Check out this link; I'm hoping it will be a success!

http://whitelions.org/new/index.php/home

I am also working on building some platforms for Maura and Guinna servals. Their enclosure needs updating and I am hoping to construct tiered platforms that are interesting, movable, and useful for the pair. If anyone is interested in helping or has any ideas, let me know. I will definitely need a few people to help on installation, as it will be done in the enclosure.

Internship, Round 2

Classes have started and so have I! Yesterday was my first day back at Carolina Tiger Rescue since finals. A lot has happened in the short weeks since my last post.

I am so sad to report that PJ the ocelot was humanely euthanized Tuesday morning. PJ had been ill for the past few days and necropsy results showed that his I tract had been frozen for almost four days; he had not digested food in that time period. There was no indication as to the cause- no tears, no twists, nothing in his health to indicate why this may have happened. He also retained some fluid in his lungs. This marks the fourth animal passing in the sixth month I have been at Carolina Tiger Rescue. PJ was a very small ocelot who preferred activity at night to visits during the day (he was not on the public tour route). He was also one of the ocelots to receive the second structure built for my intern project. I have no strong pictures of him because he was a very elusive and very fast ocelot! Beth Lupold, one of our great volunteers, let me use this photo of PJ:

In addition, I learned that Disney the binturong was also humanely euthanized during the holiday. Disney had been suffering severe foot pad ulcers during cold weather and this season marked the third year in a row. Because little research has been conducted on binturongs, we were unable to find the cause or a proper treatment for this very painful condition. The pad sores are open wounds in the feet, and no medications were alleviating the discomfort or reducing the progression of the strange ulcers. No cause has been found, and every effort has been executed in solving the problem. In light of this fact, the only humane option was to humanely euthanize him. Because Disney was not releasable (binturongs are from Asia), these are the repercussions of having exotic animals as pets. Disney was not on the public tour route at the sanctuary, but he will be missed for his sweet face and lazy disposition. This photo also belongs to Beth:

Thank you Beth for letting me use these photos. I regret I wasn't able to spend enough time with Disney to get any photographs of him.

We are so lucky to boast longevity as part of the lifestyles of the animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue. I am currently taking a Captive Animal Biology class at NC State, and although we agree that life in the wild is better than in captivity, our animals experience optimal living based on best accepted practices. We continue to mitigate any pain or suffering to the best of our ability. If you are interested in working with Carolina Tiger Rescue, please visit our website: http://carolinatigerrescue.org/ .

On a lighter note regarding my first day back, Isabella tiger is doing great! Izzy contracted a severe bladder infection and went on a two-week food hiatus. Because we were unable to get antibiotics or medication in her other than with darts, she was not doing well. Izzy is our epileptic tiger, and also the oldest (19 years). She requires the anti-seizure medication Phenobarbital on a daily basis to control seizure episodes (though she still has them on occasion). Combined with not eating, I was not the only one concerned that she would not live through Christmas. Prior to leaving for Houston (which is why I was gone), I had a fence visit with Isabella. She wasn't eating the whole raw chicken in front of her and was more concerned with communicating with neighbor Mona, who wanted the chicken. She chuffled weakly at Mona and kept trying to get up the little rise to the fence, but was unable. When Mona walked away, Izzy emitted a very sad little sigh that immediately caused me to burst into tears. The poor thing just felt awful. However, I bugged Lauren, senior keeper, continuously throughout my absence and heard of each step Izzy took towards recovery. It started with darted antibiotics, then eating a chicken leg, then ten, and finally she is eating like she should. Yesterday we threw her chickens over the fence and she leapt into the air like a kitten to catch them. I also received some beautiful chuffles from the recovered tiger, and I can't express how happy I am to see her well. She is also more alert since the keepers reduced her Phenobarbital dose a few weeks back. Man do I love that tiger.

The highlight of yesterday was scrubbing the two-dozen tupperware containers left from the past three days due to frozen water pipes (we have lots of water on reserve during these times for that very reason, so no one went without water). Thank goodness I wore water-proof pants! It was 35 degrees out! I also worked with keeper Lenore and another volunteer cutting whole chickens into quarters for feeding and the breasts into chunks for treats and enrichment. Almost six months I've been at Carolina Tiger Rescue and yesterday was my first butcher experience! I must say, however, that the meat we give our cats is really good quality... I have seen those same cuts in my own kitchen. We are so fortunate to receive donations from the local chicken processing plant.

I can't wait to get back out on Saturday! I also can't wait to write more this weekend... there are many photos and stories I have yet to share. If you are interested in seeing even more photos, videos, or learning more about what we do, visit our Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/#/CarolinaTigerRescue?ref=ts . A new album just went up and the photos are fantastic!

Thanks for reading!