BIG CAT CHRONICLES FEATURED CAT! Independence Day Extravaganza. Letter From The President. Loretta

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1 BIG CAT CHRONICLES A USDA Licensed Facility for The Vanishing Breeds of Big Cats FEATURED CAT! Loretta See Back Cover Letter From The President Tanya Smith/Founder/President Twenty years had to be celebrated. Thanks to everyone that helped or attended our events through the 20 Days for 20 Years. So many wonderful things and people came together. Interns from 1995 to date joined us for the Intern Reunion, which coincided with 2 habitat openings, #32 and #33. Seven tigers got released into new enclosures, which has allowed us to tear down tiger row in the main compound (6 small dilapidated cages to the right when you enter). Our next step is to build two exercise areas off of the upper cages to allow the remaining animals to stretch their legs and play. I can t wait to tear down every one of the smaller containments in the compound and build a habitat for every animal here on the 459 acres. Build it and they can run! Renew Your Animal Adoption, Sponsorship, or Membership Today Independence Day Extravaganza TCWR is not a baby anymore. The refuge is a young adult. I am very proud of our accomplishments. I choose to explain my life of rescuing abused and abandoned animals as an adventure. All kinds of critters have graced my doorstep, but the Big Cats are my specialty. I have rescued strays that needed a hand up my entire life, loving animals with different circumstances. Too many of them with pain and suffering that most couldn t endure, and no one should ever have to. The animals are amazing with a will to survive the worst circumstances. Thor, a twelveyear-old male African lion, is our most recent example. Thor was full of worms and parasites when we picked him up in Little Rock, Arkansas, on January 29, We were told that his mate had died one year prior and he had stopped eating and was in need of a new home. Thor was emaciated and had urine burns on his legs and tail. His back legs wobbled a bit when he stood. He was ill and depressed. After a few short months here, Thor is now the King of the Refuge. He looks fantastic and has a very healthy appetite. Thor now starts the lions caroling (roaring simultaneously) each evening and likes to wake everyone up in the morning. He still has a little wobble in his rear legs but it is barely noticeable. Now he is a beauty! Laws regarding Big Cat ownership are changing in many states. Unfortunately it is because of tragedies such as those we face on a daily basis that people are beginning to realize the problematic circumstances of caring for these animals. I am glad that states are taking a stand to regulate this problem. I am concerned that if states July 4, 7 am - Midnight Continued on page 2 We Need Your Help Feeding The Cats! 7 Big Cats GET HABITAT See page 5 See page 4 Watch over 150 videos at: youtube.com/turpentinecreek

2 Letter From The President (continued from page 1) do not grandfather in the owners who do take good care of their animals, that the owners of many Big Cats, bears, and other exotic pets will be seeking refuge for their animals. Some states are mandating a permit fee per animal of up to $2500 per year. That alone will create a flood of animals that need to be rescued. Our goal is that none of these creatures suffer and they be allowed to live their lives with dignity. TCWR has so many plans for the future. We want every animal to have the chance to be out in a large enclosure every day with pools, toys, trees, grass, and benches. TCWR dreams of building an onsite veterinarian clinic that can accommodate our specialized animal needs with a private area for the animals to recuperate after an illness. Of less importance, we want to build a new entrance, gift shop, and restaurant. We also want to add educational centers and people shelters throughout our facility as we utilize more of the property. Urgent needs include running new water lines to create more pressure for cleaning cages and stop water leaks from old pipes, which will reduce electricity cost. We also need your financial help acquiring meat for the animals. Please, fill out the form on page 7. Any help is greatly appreciated! Please do what you can. I look forward to your visit. Until next time As laws are passed state by state Turpentine Creek s role as a save-haven will become more and more important. It is believed that these new laws/bills will render many dangerous exotic animals homeless. Our legislatures must be educated! Contact your law makers today. Over 70 interns from attended the 2012 Intern Reunion. Turpentine Creek started its intern program in Since its inception, TCWR s intern program has grown immensely. We currently bring in 12 new interns twice each year. These 12 individuals are chosen from over 120 applicants! Emily McCormack, our intern recruiter, does an exceptional job finding the very best applicants to invite into our family. Facilities around the country have used our intern program to benefit their animals. Our vision now provides elevated animal care for animals around the country. Thanks everyone! Letter From the Curator Emily McCormack/Curator The 20 year anniversary was a lot of work but so much fun. The most rewarding for me was the Habitat Openings and the Intern Reunion! Over 70 interns from took a trip back to the refuge to celebrate their beginning and the progress made here at the refuge. I would like to thank everyone who attended in making this celebration exceptional. It was wonderful to see interns who made their start at the refuge and have grown into such inspiring individuals. Our intern alumni are working and caring for animals in numerous aspects all over the country. Currently, some are employed at Memphis Zoo, Little Rock Zoo, Kansas City Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, San Diego Zoo, El Paso Zoo, Maryland Zoo, Baton Rouge Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Henry Doorly Zoo, Cosley Zoo, Smithsonian, Syracuse Zoo to name a few. also veterinarians, vet techs, graduate programs. and the list goes on and on. We are so proud of all of you! As I looked out into the crowd at the habitat opening, I saw all of these smiling faces; former interns, volunteers, board members, donors, and visitors. It was at that moment I realized what an amazing team we have. Not only our current staff and interns but all of these people, including those who could not attend, are part of our team. So many people over the last 20 years have had such an impact on the growth of the refuge. There are angels among us all who have given to help these animals and this facility develop into a legacy. Thank you to Tanya Smith and her parents for founding Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and working to build a piece of heaven on earth for these rescued creatures. Happy Birthday! Page 2 tigers@turpentinecreek.org

3 20th Anniversary Events A Big Success by Nancy Plummer, 20th Anniversary Chr. Turpentine Creek kicked off its twentieth year in existence with a twenty day celebration beginning with a ribbon cutting on April 19. The culminating activities on May 5 involved giving free admission to Carroll and Madison County residents as a thank you for their continuing support of the Refuge and enjoying a special fire works display. A big thank you goes out to the Matt Miller Studio in Fayetteville who hosted the Artful Tigers art auction, to the artists who contributed their work, and to Randy Risor for organizing the event. Those in attendance also enjoyed the musicians who entertained throughout the evening. Thanks Bill Plummer (TCWR Board Chairman) and his wife, Nancy, for all their dedication and hard work. They are seated on the left. The beautiful Castle Rogue s Manor was the venue for the Cats at the Castle Dinner. Thanks goes to Smith Treuer and his daughter, Fatima, who were kind enough to open the dining room at the Castle and serve a delicious meal to those in attendance. The guests had a wonderful time and were entertained by the lovely sounds of Brick Fields. Thanks to the local businesses who donated many interesting items that brought excitement to the bidding during the silent auction. Kellyn Kearney organized participants in the Cat Walk. The weather was wonderful for their event on Sunday, April 22. Ken Dickman from Amboy, Indiana, brought in the most money for the day. April 22 was also Earth Day. Thanks to Emily Mc- Cormack, Curator, who took advantage of the day to give an informative presentation about tigers. Local restaurants donated samples of their unique menu items at Taste with the Tigers on Friday, April 27. Thanks to Victor and Amanda Smith who worked to have food donated for this event. YUM! During the 20 day celebration, local artists were invited to Art with the Animals at which time they could work at the Refuge and place finished creations for sale in the gift shop. Thanks to Pat Quinn who made the artists feel welcome. Over 70 former interns returned to the Refuge for an Alumni Pride Reunion on April 28. Those in attendance enjoyed food, stories of time spent at the Refuge, and karaoke directed by Tiny. Present interns and staff worked many long hours to complete TWO habitats that were opened on April 28. Those two habitats give SEVEN tigers a place to run freely on the grass. At the opening, a special ribbon cutting was held to kick off the beginning of the next twenty years and to encourage everyone to support the work of the Refuge-- rescuing abused and neglected cats and giving them a peaceful, caring home for life. Thanks to all of you at the Refuge, too numerous to mention, who worked may hours behind the scenes to make this huge celebration a success! And finally, thank you to all who supported the 20th Anniversary events and to those who support regularly in other ways. The Refuge continues to need your special gifts. Volunteer Spotlight - Colleen Oberhelman Please Help by Scott Smith/ VP TCWR The economy, in its current condition, has had an effect on visitor numbers and donations at the refuge. These two fundraising segments make up roughly 2/3 of the refuge income. So far in 2012 both supporter visitation and new visitors to the refuge are down. Summer is almost in full swing and there is still hope we can meet our budget goals. Everything we need to maintain the quality care of the animlas has risen in price almost 30% in the past five years! The increase in expenses coupled with decreases in visitors fosters considerable concern. Starting in 2007, when the economy tanked, the number of donors who could make substantial donations began to dwindle. This was expected and the refuge has had to adjust. Each and every donation to the refuge is equally important and the old adage, I d rather have a million donors give a dollar than one donor who gives a million dollars, becomes more sensible to the TCWR staff each day. Our nation is making its way through the current finacial crisis and better days are on the horizon. During this recovery period we need help. If capable, please donate to the refuge and its mission. Whatever amount you can give will go a long way towards keeping our mission secure and progressing. Visit our website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, or simply mail your donation. Together we can make a difference. Donate Online At... Website: Facebook: YouTube: Ivy Cooper/Staff Biologist/Volunteer Coordinator Our featured volunteer is Colleen Oberhelman from Parkville, Missouri. Colleen and Bob (her husband) found Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge online. They came and stayed in our B&B suites and were hooked. They rented one of our B&B suites so often that Hilda asked if they would like to be trained to help with the cats. They were trained and began volunteering 12 years ago. Colleen and Bob are very rescue minded; they currently have 6 rescued domestic cats and 1 Yorkshire terrier. Colleen visits usually one weekend each month. She is much like a second mom; she always cooks great food for the staff. Nala, the cougar, is Colleen s favorite cat. When Nala was just 3 months old she was rescued from Kansas City, MO. Nala was released into a habitat with K.C., a male cougar, and loves running and stalking in the grass. When asked why she chose to stay and help, Colleen answered, The cats touched my heart, and these beautiful creatures don t deserve the mistreatment they received before being rescued by Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. I just wanted to do anything I could to help them. tigers@turpentinecreek.org Page 3

4 Twenty Years and Still Running Wild - More Than a Slogan Laurie Vanderwal Assistant Curator/Gift Shop Manager When discussions of the 20th anniversary began a habitat opening was put on the schedule. The goal was set; early we were determined to have cats released during the celebrations. With the hard work of all the staff and interns, as well as several amazing volunteers, we were able to have not one, but two habitat openings. The second habitat in the pod of three (the first was opened in February) was built for Jesse & Keesha (rescued from a facility in Missouri that had issues with enclosure regulations) and Shelby & Sasha (rescued from private owners in Texas that were unable to acquire homeowners insurance). Fred and Sherry, TCWR supporters, donated not only the funds to purchase the wire, pipe, and concrete to build the habitat, but also provided the shade cloths for the lockdowns, the materials for the double-decker bench, the pool, as well as a variety of toys for the cats. The third habitat was made possible by a generous donation from the Rankin Family, who requested the habitat be designated for geriatric cats. Older residents, Crystal & Little Tony (rescued from a failed sanctuary in Kansas) and Thunder, (rescued from a privately-owned zoo in upstate New York that was going out of business) were the lucky ones that were chosen to feel the freedom. On Saturday, April 28 in front of over 60 intern alumni, countless other supporters and guests, and following a ribbon cutting ceremony by Rogers Chamber of Commerce, Shelby & Sasha were released into their habitat. They ran and chased each other thoroughly enjoying every minute in this large natural enclosure. Next it was Crystal & Little Tony that got to experience their freedom. It was like they got a new lease on life, running and playing like much younger cats. The next day was Jesse & Keesha and Thunder s big day. Jesse & Keesha explored the whole habitat area and their happiness was evident on their faces. Thunder was the final cat released. He has been at the refuge since 2008 and when the door was opened, he immediately found a log to scratch on and a shady area of grass where he laid down and enjoyed the space and softness for the whole day. These 2 habitats and 7 cats experiencing freedom truly proves our anniversary slogan 20 years and still running wild. Sasha and Shelby Crystal Large habitats provide space for our animals to live out their lives with dignity. Donate Today. Little Tony Jesse Keesha Thunder We give our cats freedom because you give to the habitat fund. See page 7 to donate. Page 4 tigers@turpentinecreek.org

5 Welcome to Two New Staff Members by Staff Biologist Kellyn Kearney Turpentine Creek proudly welcomes two former interns as new permanent staff members. Kelly Jo Carroll (KJ) joins the Educational Programs staff and Mary Schlieve joins our Animal Care staff. KJ grew up in Clarence Center, New York. She studied Environmental Science with emphasis on Animal Science at the State University of New York at Buffalo, graduating in 2010 with her B.S. degree. While in college, KJ became a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Buffalo, New York, working for Eerie County s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). With them for approximately five years, she helped rehab birds of prey, rabbits, and opossums. KJ first joined the TCWR team in spring, 2011, completing a 6 1/2 month internship. She then interned on the Big Island of Hawaii at Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation, helping to prevent the extinction and promoting the recovery of Hawaii s most threatened native birds. This internship ended this past winter, after which KJ was hired as a member of our Educational Programs staff. Mary Schlieve grew up in East Troy, Wisconsin. She studied Veterinary Life Science, along with a Biology and Chemistry minor, at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, graduating in 2008 with her B.S. degree. From there, she completed a six month internship at Fellow Mortals Animal Hospital in Wisconsin helping to rehab local non-predatory animals such as squirrels, rabbits, ducks, geese, etc. Mary interned at TCWR in the spring of 2009, and then remained for a second 6 month internship. Once her fall 2009 internship ended, she headed to Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation (WRR) in Kendalia, Texas, where she helped rehab orphaned sick raccoons, skunks, deer, songbirds, birds of prey, etc. With the conclusion of this one year internship, she headed back to Wisconsin. She worked at Target, Alpine Valley Music Theater, and again at Fellow Mortals Animal Hospital until being offered the position as a member of the Animal Care staff at TCWR this past April. We are excited to welcome these two past interns to our team and wish them all the best. We know they will be very successful in their endeavors and we are delighted to have them join our ever-expanding family. TCWR Needs Your Help by TCWR VP Scott Smith Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge needs your continued support and help with our current meat situation. In the March 2012 newsletter the need for meat was outlined in great detail and many TCWR supporters responded to the need and sent in donations or went to our website and donated through paypal. At the time this newsletter was being assembled we have enough meat for six weeks. To supplement a one month meat supply, the cost is $6,000. Assuming we continue to get meat trickling in from local poultry producers and local farmers cattle, our current figures are pretty accurate. Can you help with this dire need? Although it would be great if we can find enough people to sponsor one month at a time ($6,000), we realize most people cannot afford to send $6,000. Please send what you can. Kelly Jo Carroll Mary Schlieve Habitat Material Breakdown 2 Pipe 5,000 $1.20/ft Welded Wire 560 $5.00/ft Cement 14 $86.00/yd Gas 250 $3.75/ga Misc. Welding Supplies $800 Spray Paint 1000 $1.39/ea Dens $650/ea Utility Infrastructure $3,500 Animal Caretaker Access Road $2,000 Labor A Lot! Volunteers Free Cats Freedom Priceless After the habitat is built we need to build the preimeter fence. $5,000 None of the cost estimates include labor, which is not cheap. Please bring your group to volunteer. Your labor will bring freedom to the cats. Please, donate to the habitat fund today! tigers@turpentinecreek.org Page 5

6 Out With The Old, In With The New! Jarrett Sweely/Staff Biologist Sometimes it is necessary to start from scratch when building something special. That is exactly what we here at TCWR are in the process of. I am sure all of you know how we feel about the self guided compound area of the refuge. None of us like having the animals in their small temporary enclosures, yet if we didn t have them we wouldn t be able to help as many of the animals that we have. With that being said, we are in the process of eliminating 7 of the small temporary enclosures. With the recent opening of our 31st, 32nd, and 33rd natural habitats we were able to move 10 cats out of the temporary enclosures and give them spacious homes. This allowed us to shift many cats in the compound area around, leaving the 7 enclosures at the bottom of Tiger Row open. We decided that in order to move forward with our goal of 100% of our animals in natural habitats we would have to take the plunge and start eliminating some of the temporary enclosures. In the past we have eliminated one here and there but never this many at once. A big portion of these enclosures have already been taken down by our staff and interns. For those of you who haven t visited in a few months, you ll be very surprised. The goal is to build natural habitats in the area that will be opened by tearing these enclosures down. The projected plan as of now is to build Bam Bam the grizzly bear a natural habitat in the self guided compound area. This will allow everyone to visit him without having to go on a guided tour. We also hope to have enough room to build a second natural enclosure in this area where we can get more of our animals into big spacious homes. From This Donate Today To This The death of tiger row. It gives me chills to write that sentence. I ve seen dozens of rescued great cats lives saved by these 20 x20 cages. The uneven, cracked concrete, the cinder block dens, and the small living quarters served a valuable purpose for so many big cats, but have been destroyed and will be soon replaced with spacious, new habitats! Please donate to the habitat fund so we can continue and move forward with our mission. Boris Africa In The Ozarks! Reserve Your Room Online Now. Page 6 tigers@turpentinecreek.org

7 Adopt Or Sponsor A Big Cat Today! Turpentine Creek houses over 100 big cats. Caring for these animals requires a lot of financial resources. Turpentine Creek started its animal adoption and animal sponsor programs in 1995 to make sure our animals have continuous funds for their care. Through the animal adoption and sponsor programs Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge hopes to raise all the funds needed to provide a rich life for each and every animal. If we can have each animal fully adopted or sponsored, the refuge would be free to continue to save the lives of others. By choosing to sponsor one of our animals you choose to donate the estimated cost associated with providing all its needs. Animal sponsorships vary from $700/yr. to $2,500/yr. based on animal type. Turpentine Creek staff realize many people cannot afford to fully sponsor an animal at the refuge. To make sure we accommodate each supporter and help the animals as well, we started the adoption program. This program coordinates supporters and their families to jointly sponsor an animal. The adoption program provides a vehicle that can make the animals care self-sustaining, thus reserving refuge resources for building habitats and for providing enrichment for all the animals in our care. These programs are fun for the family and come with a free Family Membership! You can visit as often as you wish for an entire year. You also receive a certificate with a photo of your adopted animal. If you choose to sponsor an animal, you receive an 8x10 photo, a sponsorship certificate, and, upon request and with a reservation, private tours for you and your guests! Athena Even a face like this deserves a good life. Adopt or sponsor an animal today! cut line Enclosed is my Tax Deductible Contribution of: $25 $35 $50 $100 Other $ Urgent Needs: Meat Fund Donation $ Habitat Fund Donation $ Membership: Single Membership $50 Family Membership $80 Yes! I will help! Name Address City/State/Zip Special Giftshop Item: 20 th Anniversary T-Shirt (size ) $20 Animal Adoption: Small Mammal/Bird $100/yr. Small Cat/Monkey $100/yr. Cougar/Leopard $125/yr. Lion/Tiger/Bear $150/yr. Animal Sponsor: Small Mammal/Bird $700/yr. Small Cat/Monkey $1000/yr. Cougar/Leopard $2,200/yr. Lion/Tiger/Bear $2,500/yr. Adopted/Sponsored Animals Name Total $ Credit Card # Exp. Date CVC Code Mail To: Turpentine Creek 239 Turpentine Creek Ln. Eureka Springs, AR The Animals Can Count On Me! tigers@turpentinecreek.org Page 7

8 Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge 239 Turpentine Creek Lane Eureka Springs, AR Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 20 Eureka Springs, AR Read about Jesse s first steps into a new habitat on page 4. Date of Birth: 06/26/1990 Loretta was rescued from Bentonville, AR. Her previous owner was a breeder, and Loretta and her mate, Conway, had produced many cubs that were sold into the exotic pet trade. The breeder found that at 12 years old, the pair was too old to have viable cubs. Therefore, they were no longer any value to him. Turpentine Creek has provided her a safe, secure home for over a decade.