Big Cat Chronicles. July 4. DONATE TODAY to get your 2013 TAX DEDUCTION. Letter From The President

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1 July 4 16th Annual Independence Day Extravaganza Bring a lawn chair or blanket for our awesome fireworks display. You can even bring your own fireworks, we have a special area for your own show. Enjoy concessions and live entertainment. A per-car donation is requested, which can be applied to a 2013 Family Membership pass. TCWR President Tanya Smith shown with Scott Smith (right) and Jack Hanna (left). Read more on page 2. Big Cat Chronicles A USDA Licensed Facility for The Vanishing Breeds of Big Cats Summer 2013 Letter From The President Tanya Smith Founder / President These are exciting times to be alive at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. That is the only way I can express how I feel about my life. I am so impressed with the dedication of all our staff, interns, volunteers, board of directors, donors and people who care so much about our mission. I d like to sincerely thank each of you for continuing to help fulfill our family s dreams. We are in the process of finalizing our 5-year development plan, with improvement efforts that include: New expanded entrance pavilion featuring a larger gift shop, café and education area that will eliminate the bottleneck situation at the current refuge entryway. Removal of all the old concrete enclosures around the entrance building that served us well for so many years and replacing them with new enclosures that provide up close and personal encounters. These areas will be reserved for our rescued animals that crave human attention. Addition of new species & sub species for educational purposes. Expansion of the RTS Rescue Ridge area enclosures where we recently built 20 rescue cages for the Mountainburg tigers. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has awarded the refuge with a matching grant to fund two of these larger yards. Your donations will help give all these animals as much room as possible. The Arkansas Highway Department is going to widen our Hwy. 23 main entrance to improve safety and allow greater accessibility for large buses and RV s. (Construction should start in June.) One of our top goals is to build an on-site veterinary clinic so our veterinarian can comfortably perform animal care and surgeries without the stress and expense of transporting the animal. An on-site vet clinic will help us save time, money and energy while we address the ongoing health issues of our geriatric population of animals. Watch over 150 videos at: youtube.com/turpentinecreek We hope you have the opportunity to visit the refuge soon. Plan to stay a few days to fully appreciate everything we do to care for our more than 130 animals and endangered wildlife. All proceeds from admissions, lodging rentals, photo shoots, concessions, and gift shop purchases help provide lifetime homes for these valued wildlife ambassadors. We look forward to showing you all our progress and thanks for your support! DONATE TODAY to get your 2013 TAX DEDUCTION

2 Refuge Recognized by Jungle Jack Hanna America s Favorite Zoo Keeper Tanya Smith Founder / President We were honored with a VIP back-stage visit with Jungle Jack Hanna, host of the popular wildlife TV series, Into the Wild, prior to his May 3 appearance at the nearby Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. Jack and his team from the Columbus Zoo treated our staff and board members to an up close encounter and photo op with a variety of wildlife, including a full-grown cheetah, fennec fox, baby wallaby, black leopard and other wildlife. Jack and his wife, Suzi, are active supporters of the refuge and he encouraged the audience to visit Turpentine Creek during his two-hour show. He was also kind enough to arrange having our tradeshow display in the lobby, allowing Turpentine Creek to share our message with over 1000 enthusiastic attendees. Turpentine Creek is one of the largest non-profit exotic cat sanctuaries in the US. I hope tourists and residents of NW Arkansas know how fortunate they are to have a facility of this caliber nearby. Their donations and support are critical to providing professional care for more than 130 neglected and abandoned wildlife ambassadors who now have lifetime homes there. Tanya Smith and her staff do a wonderful job and play an important educational role for thousands of refuge visitors and local school children each year, said Hanna. It was a real thrill for our team to meet America s most popular wildlife ambassador. Jack is a wonderful role model and very generous with his time. We were so impressed when Jack took almost two hours to sign autographs and pose for pictures with the general audience after the show, another example of how dedicated he is to delivering his wildlife conservation message to everyone who takes time to listen. His support of the refuge is priceless and greatly appreciated by all us. If we build it, they can run! Tigger G Donate to the Habitat Fund TODAY! 2

3 Letter From the Curator Emily McCormack Curator It s now been approximately 3 months since we relocated the last of 28 Riverglen Tiger Sanctuary (RTS) tigers and one cougar to Turpentine Creek. I m still amazed seeing all that we accomplished as a team with your support. The youngest cat we relocated is 15 and the oldest is 22. Keep in mind most big cats only live 10 to 14 years in the wild. The rescued animals had minimal exposure to humans and outside activity since RTS was a non-public facility located in the rural hills of Mountainburg, Arkansas. Our top 2 priorities have been acclimating the latest arrivals to their new enclosures and addressing long-term health related issues like renal failure and cancer - common illnesses in mature cats. We are happy to report most of the cats have adjusted to the new, larger enclosures as our staff has worked to gain their trust, while others have taken a bit longer to adjust to a much more stimulating environment. Based on behavior observation, we are now able to identify possible health issues not immediately addressed at the time of relocation. Some of the animals are now receiving vitamin supplements to address symptoms like arthritis and muscle atrophy. Over the past few months, many of the cats have been taken to our refuge veterinarian to address issues he could not properly resolve here at the refuge during their initial exams (That s why we want to build an on-site vet clinic here soon.) We are now working hard to expand the habitats and provide naturally shaded areas in the Rescue Ridge area. Each enclosure is designed and placed in such a way to allow more area for the cats to roam and exercise. Donations are needed to complete the final stages of this expansion effort. We will continue to face rising vet bills to provide the proper health care for our new class of senior felines, but the reward of seeing these neglected animals respond so well to their new home with improved health is priceless. Cats at the Castle Fundraiser a Success Nancy Plummer Event Chairperson We are delighted to report the Cats at the Castle II fundraiser was a huge success, raising more than $13,000 for the TCWR habitat fund. This year s event was very popular as we sold out in early March. While we were sorry to have to turn people away, we were fortunate to receive donations from many who couldn t attend. Smith Treuer and his staff served 100 guests a delicious prime rib dinner in the Castle Rogue s Manor dining room accompanied by the beautiful music of Brick Fields. A live auction was added to this year s activities and our newbie auctioneer, Scott Smith, kept the bidding lively providing stories on each item presented. A new twist in the auction world found those who won the bid gifting the items they bought to others who were also bidding--generosity at its finest! Special thanks to the kind artists and businesses that donated auction items. We d also like to thank our friends from Indiana, the Dickmans and the Givens, who helped get everything ready. We hope everyone who attended this special annual event had a wonderful evening. We appreciate your generous support of the Refuge. 3

4 Red Sunsets at Turpentine Creek Kellyn Kearney Staff Biologist Though the Riverglen Tiger Sanctuary (RTS) rescue is complete, the work at Rescue Ridge is far from over. One of the many projects started recently is the creation of shaded areas for these animals. Though each enclosure has its own shade cloth, the staff at TCWR wanted to create more natural shade for these big cats. We achieved this by planting 24 large maple saplings (specifically hybrids known as Red Sunsets) throughout the Rescue Ridge enclosure area with hopes that in the coming years as they grow bigger, they will provide even more shade for the cats. In addition to planting these trees, we planted five more in strategic areas around our habitat tunnel walkway, thus providing more shade for both the cats and our many guests. In total, twenty-eight trees were purchased from Roller Nursery in Seligman, Arkansas, who donated the 29th tree. Each tree weighed about 2000 lbs. so you can imagine how much work goes into transporting, digging, planting and stationing these young trees. We hope to purchase many more trees from Roller Nursery this November, when the time is right again for sapling planting, so we are looking for help. Sponsor a tree today and help us transform our refuge into a beautiful shaded park for our visitors and growing family of wildlife. See order form on page 7. Kellyn Kearney Staff Biologist 4

5 Featured Cat: Colby Turpentine Creek staff members, Scott and Tanya Smith, traveled to Rosenberg, Texas, to pick up a Bengal tiger needing a home. The private owner was having trouble with local officials, neighbors and his wife! The city annexed the farm Colby was living on and wanted him gone for safety reasons. A $2,000/day fine would apply if Colby stayed. Also, Colby s owner was having problems with his family. The owner s wife had left home with their young child and would not come back until Colby was gone! All this, topped with threats from the neighbors, prompted Colby s owner to call Turpentine Creek for help. Colby made the 14 hour trip to the refuge fine and is a wonderful addition to the TCWR family. DOB 6/17/2000 Arrival Date: 4/28/2008 Staff Spotlight: Patricia Quinn Jarrett Sweeley Staff Biologist Patricia Quinn is originally from Lincoln Park, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Pat has always loved animals and enjoys her passion for big cats. While working in Michigan she came across an ad for a secretary position at TCWR. In April of 1998 she visited Eureka Springs and volunteered for two days at the refuge while deciding whether to take the job. Fortunately for all of us, she accepted the position. She returned to Michigan, put in her two-week notice, and by June 1998, she was working at TCWR full time. For the past 15 years Pat has dedicated her time and hard work to help us continue our mission as both a full-time employee and active member of our board of directors. Pat has seen many changes and improvements here, including the construction of new habitats and the beginning of the intern program. Interaction with customers, staff, interns and animals are the most rewarding parts of her job. She has developed bonds with many of the animals including Hercules, Luna, Loretta, and Goober. Goober, our rhesus macaque, is one of her favorite animals who took seven years of Pat s patient bonding efforts before warming up to her. Now preparing to retire and cutting back her workdays, Pat hopes to fully retire by the age of 70. We are very grateful for everything Pat does and will sorely miss her professionalism, guidance and wicked sense of humor when she leaves us. All of us wish Pat all the best. 5

6 Breaking Ground for Bam Bam! For over a year, all of us at Turpentine Creek have been talking about and pushing for Bam Bam, our only grizzly bear, to get a new and enlarged habitat. After many long debates and getting an overwhelming response from all of our supporters we finally broke ground for Bam Bam s habitat!!! Tanya Smith, TCWR President, is 6 3. Bam Bam is much taller. Help us provide him more space - donate today! We are building his habitat where some of our oldest concrete enclosures used to stand; this began the process of tearing down the oldest part of the refuge and turning it into more habitat space. We have completed one wall and have learned building this new enclosure is no easy task. To construct each wall, a two-foot trench is dug in the ground stretching the length of the wall. An additional two feet is then dug for each pipe and cemented into the ground. Then the full trench is concreted. This way, Bam Bam cannot dig under the fence. The habitat walls will be 16 feet tall to meet USDA regulations. Digging and setting the poles is taking longer than expected since Arkansas soil is very rocky, creating a bit of a challenge. Along with cementing the poles, an electrical line will run along the top to ensure he won t climb the fence. Bam Bam will enjoy an in-ground pool, complete with a waterfall for him to swim and play in. This pool is being made possible by Randy Murray and his company, Aquacrete L.C., where they are capable of designing & building virtually anything with concrete. They have done many pools and waterfall features for private customers and other animal care facilities. TCWR is very thankful for the generosity of Randy Murray as he is donating a huge portion of the costs and his construction time. Despite a few minor delays, we hope to complete Bam Bam s habitat as fast as possible. Since Bam Bam is the first grizzly bear the refuge ever rescued, we are ensuring everything is done properly and according to regulations. We want to guarantee Bam Bam will enjoy his little slice of freedom in the grass. If you know someone who could help us in any way possible to get this lovable/ playful grizzly bear out to the grass and into his new pool, contact us via the website or by calling our gift shop. Every little bit helps and soon Bam Bam will get to run and swim! 6

7 Enclosed is my Tax Deductible Contribution of: $25 $35 $50 $100 Other $ Urgent Needs: RTS Rescue Donation $ Habitat Fund Donation $ Shade Tree Sponsorship $150 Membership: Single Membership $50 Family Membership $80 Special Giftshop Item: 20 th Anniversary T-Shirt (size ) Black White 2013 Photo Wall Calendar $20+$5 S&H $15+$5 S&H 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 $ $ 5 SALE! +$5 S&H Yes! I will help! Name Address City/State/Zip Monthly Payments Available For Sponsorships- See Website Credit Card # Exp. Date CVC Code Summer 2013 Mail To: Turpentine Creek 239 Turpentine Creek Ln. Eureka Springs, AR The Animals Can Count On Me! Donor Spotlight: Steve and Teresa Jackson Scott Smith Vice President I m often asked the question, What are in-kind contributions? Quite simply, they are non-cash donations of items we have on our web site Wish Lists that range from tiger toys to construction materials. These types of donations are critical to meeting our goals for expanding habitats and providing the best possible care of our wildlife family here at Turpentine Creek. They are tax deductible as well. I hope you enjoy this spotlight on one of our most recent in-kind contribution donors. Steve and Teresa Jackson are true animal lovers, who began visiting Eureka Springs more than three years ago and always made a point of touring Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge during each trip. Their dedication to animals is reflected by the couple s long-time support of the Houston Zoo, SPCA and the Humane Society. They have two dogs, Tank & Tyson, and more cats than they can count. In fact, a recent feline adoptee just delivered 3 new kittens in their master bathroom. Teresa refers to Steve as the cat whisperer, since he seems to draw the affection of cats like a magnet. The Jacksons decided to relocate from Houston Texas to Eureka Springs in During the construction of their new home overlooking pristine Beaver Lake, they acquired an industrial bucket lift to complete the beautiful exterior rockwork on the house. After moving in, they donated the bucket lift to Turpentine Creek, their favorite local attraction. This multi-purpose vehicle will prove to be a very valuable resource for the refuge staff, assisting with a variety of projects ranging from new habitat construction to photography. The Jacksons also plan to donate road gates and other materials desperately needed at the refuge. The bucket lift donated by the Jacksons in use at Turpentine Creek. All of us at the refuge would like to thank Steve & Teresa for their generosity and ongoing support of our mission. 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 Colby was rescued from Texas. Read more on page 6. New Video Now Available go to We hope you enjoy it, post it on your social media pages and share it with your friends.