They will never know freedom. Can they at leat know compaion? Spring 2012 Aftermath of the Ohio exotic animal tragedy what happen to the other? The Wildcat Sanctuary i here to help! Like you, we were devatated a we heard the hot ring out that killed dozen of animal in Ohio lat year. Thee were animal that, through no fault of their own, were fleeing from cage that had imprioned them for life. Thoe few moment were their only tate of freedom. We o deperately wanted to help. Then we received a tearful call from an Ohio woman aking u to help her and her cat. She i a USDA licened owner who realize what the future will mean for her and the animal he ha in mall cage in her backyard. Though he d like to provide more for thee animal, he truggled financially, including a near forecloure, to keep up and i fearful he cannot meet the regulation the new Ohio legilation will require. She reearched different anctuarie and contacted The Wildcat Sanctuary becaue he felt we could offer what her animal deerved a home for life, where they wouldn t be uprooted again and where they would have the open pace he couldn t provide for them. Sadly, the tory of her animal and what they ve been through i a heart wrenching a many of thoe who died that day in Zaneville, Ohio. And, like other, her i not their firt home. Nikita, the tiger, and Taha, the cougar, could be poter children of what it truly mean to be a captive wild animal. They deerve a place they can finally call home and the pace to be wild at heart. Nikita & Taha lived in very mall cage in Ohio. Meet Nikita Nikita, a white tiger, wa ued a a cub and adult for public photo opportunitie. She i carred mentally from the abuive experience of being chained down to a wooden box for photo, living on a cement lab in a mall filthy cage while her owner bred her for cub to go into irreponible hand, jut for money! Nikita wa the dominant tiger in her tiny 10 x 10 cage. While other were kin and bone, Nikita had urvival intinct and would keep the male tiger from eating her food but he wa alway looking over her houlder waiting to be attacked by other tarving tiger. The cage were covered in fece and green water that hadn t been cleaned for month. It wa a horrible exitence for a uch beautiful creature! Sam Mazzola, an Ohio breeder, exhibitor, and ex-convict wa Nikita original owner. Mazzola hitory of abuing animal wa notoriou and well documented. He had been in prion for cocaine and teroid trafficking, wa arreted for illegal gun poeion and entenced to court-ordered anger management. He claimed to have been arreted hundred of time. In Ohio it wa perfectly legal for him to own ome of the mot dangerou exotic. Beide Nikita and other tiger, he owned bear, lion, wolve and coyote. He would proudly how off the 2000 titche from injurie inflicted by hi wild animal. Nikita, on the move again. continued on page 3
Jaguar Diablo Guapo Cougar Raja & Liberty Miion: Provide natural anctuary to wild cat in need and inpire change to end the captive wildlife crii. Viion: Help create a world where wild animal anctuarie are no longer needed. Staff Tammy Thie Founder & Executive Director Chritine Dietche Program & Volunteer Coordinator Trita Campbell Lead Keeper Alicia Ice Keeper Board of Director Dr. John Baillie Director of Animal Care Dr. Courtney Blake Monica Crocker Jeffry Hoogerhyde Gail Plewacki Communication Director Chritina Rich Sarah Sedertrom Treaurer & Secretary Volunteer Lead Myk Hamlin Ground & Maintenance Suan Timmerman Direct Mail & Newletter The Wildcat Sanctuary PO Box 314 Sandtone MN 55072 320.245.6871 WildcatSanctuary.org Way to Support TWS: Sponor / Volunteer / Donate Follow u: Bobcat Bella Printed on recycled paper Copyright The Wildcat Sanctuary. All Right Reerved.
continued from page 1 Mazzola animal were big buine for him. Hi bear were forced to bring in money, fetching $1000 a fight by wretling people in bar, club and fair. He claimed that over 22,000 people had wretled hi bear ince he tarted the buine over 25 year ago. He bragged about being a tiger/bear wretler himelf. That part of hi buine ended in 2010 when Iroquoi, one of Mazzola bear, mauled and killed a caretaker who uffered 600 wound during the attack. The victim family demanded Iroquoi be put down and threatened to charge Mazzola with reckle homicide. He then filed for bankruptcy. There were other way Mazzola found to make money with hi exotic. He would travel around with them, putting on exhibit that would bring in over $20,000 per event. Invetigator claimed hi employee ued a bat on a tiger at one of hi exhibit. Could it have been Nikita that uffered blow like thi? Sadly, we ll never know the horror he endured while with him. Now he i afe at TWS. Meet Taha the cougar Taha i an 11-year-old cougar who ecaped from her firt owner garage after living in it for 9 year. Law official would have hot her on ight but he found her way back to her o-called home becaue he wa cared and hungry. She ha ome eyeight iue and her feet are tender due to a bad declaw but he ha a forgiving nature and till crave attention from her caregiver. Our goal i to introduce thi weet girl to TWS Joie, a female cougar. Joie pent mot of her life with Hope the cougar and mot recently Cody who paed away. We are hoping Joie will once again open up her heart and habitat to another cougar in need. In the meantime, a temporary pen will be contructed for Taha to acclimate to her new life at the Sanctuary. We are excited for the day he can go into a free-roaming habitat and experience open pace and gra under her feet. You can be a part of her amazing journey. National expoure or quiet compaion i it an eay choice? With many recue, The Wildcat Sanctuary i the firt to tep up and help. Thi recue wa no different. The owner called everal facilitie but no one could help. We quickly began making arrangement, building encloure and fund raiing to bring Nikita and Taha to TWS. We alo were on the phone working on placement for the remaining cat on the property. Wildcat Haven in Oregon agreed to take in two other tiger. Then a national TV program with a high profile celebrity wanted to film thi recue. You might think we d jump at the chance for the publicity, but we alway put the individual cat need firt. Nikita i a dangerou, fearful tiger and Taha i terrorized by noie a imple a a lawn mower. We knew the camera crew, forced darting, day of filming would be the wort thing for them. So, we aid no. Mot of our recue aren t covered by the media. We do what we do bet, provide afe paage for animal deperate for erenity to their new forever home, uually unnoticed by the pre. But then, help arrived in the form of award winning documentary producer Mike Webber and Tim Harrion, well known tar of The Elephant in the Living Room. Tim offered to provide ongoing vet care for the cat, ome needing immediate dental work until they could be moved to anctuarie. Mike offered to unobtruively document the recue with a handheld camera for future documentary ue. Then, the International Fund for Animal Welfare heard of our effort and called offering a grant that will help build Nikita habitat. Uually, thi in t the way our recue unfold. We were in thi from the beginning becaue of you, our amazing upporter. Having thi team of helper come together at the lat minute i a dream come true for u, and for Nikita and Taha. Thi truly wa our dream team and we are forever grateful. Though it may only take one peron to harm and abue an animal, we know it take a network of people coming together to give them a chance to live wild at heart. We hope you ll conider becoming part of thi network, too.
Big Cat Bill Introduced and Big Star Viit TWS Above, Boco and Phoenix, two male erval, venture out of their heated den on a nice winter day. Below, Scooter, a bobcat, liten for mice under the dried grae in hope of catching a nack! TWS Calendar See u at Chuck & Don Plymouth - April 29th, 1-4 pm Mahtomedi - May 6th, 12-3 pm No Kill Walk - May 5th TC Pride - June 23rd & 24th Pet-a-Palooza - June 30th Save the Date - October 7th, 2012! Jungle Boogie Pink Panther on the Prowl The Wildcat Sanctuary bigget event of the year! The Whiker & Wave event cheduled for May 12, 2012 ha been potponed until March 23, 2013. Actre Tippi Hedren, bet known for her role in Hitchcock The Bird and Marnie i equally well known for her work on behalf of exotic cat. Tippi Hedren and TWS Director, Tammy Thie, worked and erved together for many year on the board of The American Sanctuary Aociation. Tippi viited TWS to ee the life-aving work we do and dicu the Big Cat and Public Safety Protection Act. Thi bi-partian bill, which Tippi and her ROAR Foundation have been drafting with legilator ince 2009, will enure that lion, tiger and other dangerou big cat do not threaten public afety, diminih global big cat conervation effort or end up living in horrible condition where they can be ubject to mitreatment and cruelty. The Big Cat and Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 wa introduced on February 29, 2012 in the Houe of Repreentative. If the bill become law, it would prohibit private poeion of big cat except at highly-qualified facilitie, like accredited zoo and anctuarie, where they can be properly cared for and retrained. Alo, ince nobody, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), tate agencie, or local firt reponder know exactly how many dangerou big cat are being kept in private hand, under what condition, and in what location, the bill would require any peron who currently poe big cat to regiter thoe animal with USDA in order to keep the cat they currently own. The bill would alo outlaw the breeding of any big cat except at accredited zoo and reearch and educational intitution. Violator of the law could have their animal conficated along with any vehicle or equipment ued to aid in their illegal activity, and could face tiff penaltie including fine a much a $20,000, and up to five year in jail. You can follow the progre and how you can help on our webite at: WildcatSanctuary.org. Cougar Joie
IN MEMORY OF: In memory of Bob Renz from Loi Renz In memory of Dakarai Dietche-Nelon from Chritine Sanguinet & hi friend at TWS In memory of Topaz loved by many including April Hokin from Jananne Michael In memory of Nancy Svien from Sofia Bilkadi In memory of my preciou Happy Ann a perfect kitty from Sonja William In memory of my dad, Angelo Milazzo, from Angela Milazzo In memory of Chritina, a weet feral kitty from Kathe Walton In memory of Diane Marie Ohlhaber from Barbara Shapiro In memory of Leland Magnuon from The Wildcat Sanctuary In memory of Nicki from Kathie Bomta In memory of Fuller from Hugh Tyndall In memory of Fozzie, Lucy & Charlie from Kara Dirkon In memory of Dan Santanni from Glen Yakel In honor of George who wa truly a wildcat in hi own right from Kariha & Cyle Hajek In memory of Spirit from Kenneth & Teena Shield & Cindy Bouquet In memory of Ruby from Kande Laron In memory of Xena Walker from Dr. David Walker In memory of Bruno, beloved cat of Michael Finken In memory of Mare Allure from Heidi Nelon In memory of Alpen Gardner Murphy from Karen Murray In memory of Alion Campbell from Phylli Hobach In memory of Mary Ellen Godfrey from Sue Godfrey In memory of Kuuna, Kinkey & Monty from Dori Olon Donation may be made online or by mailing your check to TWS. Donation lited are a of 3/30/2012. We reerve the right to edit ubmiion. IN HONOR OF: In honor of Gregory, Juju & Jinx Maertz from April Alliton In honor of Noemi Plantz, DVM from Arlene Janet Carpenter In honor of Aunt Edie 91t birthday from Roberta & Larry In honor of Chritine Dietche & Eric Nelon for all they bring to our live and the live of other from Chritine Sanguinet In honor of Dee Amberg from Kaey Skala In honor to all the TWS volunteer for their upport from Nancy Ikierka In honor of Roalind Annen from Paula Nelon In honor of Zachary Peyton from Jenni Charrier In honor of Marga Thompon birthday from Cecelia Camblin In honor of Steve The Wildcat Normandin from Kelly Mandia In honor of Julie Hanan from Beth Ann Senderak In honor of Jillian Dreel from Chrity J. Golden In honor of Suan Timmerman birthday from Weley Timmerman In honor of M. Teynae Richardon from Kaia Laren In honor of Joie Walker from Dr. David Walker In honor of Layla & Lynn Seleck from The Senden In honor of Diablo Guapo from Julio & Margaret Owen Thorpe In honor of Adele Swenon from Michele Fromdahl In honor of Remoh from Michelle Elliot In honor of Dorothy O Day from Shirley Nelon In honor of W.J. from Kritine Wheaton In honor of Button, Wendy & Catpurnicu from Eric Hyne In honor of Howard Vogel from Marilynne Robert In honor of Gary Fink Birthday from Cindy & Randy Evert In honor of Chritine Dietche Birthday from Chritine Sanguinet In honor of Craig Miller Birthday from Paul Mo Purchaing a commemorative brick or bench i a perfect way to remember family, friend and pet. For a little a $100, you can have 16 character for engraving. Photo of the brick or bench and acknowledgement are ent. Learn more at: WildcatSanctuary.org/commemorative-brick-benche/ Forever free in their new wild life... Cody, a cougar, may have pent the firt twelve year of hi life in horrific condition, never knowing when hi next meal wa coming, hi water bowl would be filled or if hi cage would ever be cleaned. But Cody reided at The Wildcat Sanctuary for the lat four year of hi life, the bet year of hi life. Cody wa declawed early in life. The combination of thi and year of malnourihment reulted in evere arthriti in hi pine and knee. When pain medication could no longer help, we had to et Cody free of hi pain. Wiggy, a 16 year-old F1 Bengal, wa diagnoed with arthriti and mammary cancer everal month ago. Wiggy wa letting u know that it wa finally her time to go. A we helped her pa, we couldn t help but imagine her iter Maugy, who paed a few year back, waiting to greet her with a head butt. It ad to ee her go and we will all mi her, but now he can be pain free and reunited with her iter. Goodbye weet Wiggy, you will alway be part of our wild family and are now forever free. Read Cody and Wiggy full memorial from their caretaker at: WildcatSanctuary.org/reident/
Nikita & Taha Need Your Help! Both Nikita and Taha have had everal owner but never a home to call their own. until now. Your help and The Wildcat Sanctuary changed all that, but our work i far from over. We drove 800 mile - 28 hour - to bring them to the Sanctuary. I m ure you ve all heard the latet new about ga price climbing to record high. Thi wa the firt of many expene we ll face. The keeper and volunteer were buily contructing a free-roaming habitat for Nikita that will finally let her enjoy the wide-open pace and freedom he alway longed for. We till need to raie fund to provide her climbing tructure, lounging hammock, pool and landcaping. Not to mention upport to help feed and care for her for happy year to come. With your help, we can give both cat the future they deerve. They will be going from living in a 300 q. foot cage to an expanive 8,000 quarefoot free roaming habitat, filled with perche, cave and water feature. We have committed to giving them a chance to be wild at heart - will you commit along with u? With donation down dratically thi year, even the mallet donation will help! And your gift will be doubled through April 30th! Ye, I want to help Taha and Nikita! Encloed i my tax-deductible contribution: q Encloed i a check for $ q Pleae charge my Via or Matercard credit card: $ q I want to become a Sutaining Donor - pleae charge my card $ per month Credit Card #: Exp Date: Name a it appear on card Signature Addre City/State Zip Email Addre: Phone: Pleae: q Mail me a receipt q Email me a receipt q No receipt neceary Mail your check or payment option, along with thi form to: The Wildcat Sanctuary PO 314 Sandtone MN 55072 or donate on-line at WildcatSanctuary.org
From the Keeper At the Sanctuary, enrichment help increae timulu of our cat to improve their phyiological and pychological well-being. There are everal type of enrichment; ocial, occupational, phyical and enory. Group or pair of animal living together provide ocial enrichment for each other. Habitat ize and complexity provide phyical enrichment along with adding new acceorie uch a perche, cave and pool. Senory enrichment involve the ene uch a viual, auditory and olfactory. Perfume or other cent can activate an animal need to cent mark while thing like vocalization from different animal or people can invoke an animal defene or offene behavior. If an animal hear a bird, they will likely try to find that bird and talk it, but if they hear the roar of a lion, they might feel the need to hide. And latly, occupational enrichment can be provided to timulate the animal mind. Puzzle feeder, hiding food or an item that provide exercie are all conidered occupational. Enrichment can help increae behavioral diverity and timulation, increae in the ability to cope with challenge the poitive ue of the environment and reduce the frequency of abnormal behavior. Each individual animal and their behavior i taken into account when creating and delivering enrichment. They give u clue to what ort of enrichment they would like. A timid animal for example may want an enrichment item they can invetigate during the night with no people around. Other more active animal will earch out new enrichment and quickly dicover what the keeper have given them. Your ponorhip and upport help u provide a variety of way to keep our reident happy and healthy. Read more about our enrichment program at: WildcatSanctuary.org/tw-animal-enrichment-program/ Alan Pride lounging in the winter un. Lione Shanti Deva love her Jolly Ball! Ak the Vet: What doe it take to be a wild cat vet? Dr. Noemi Plantz firt heard about The Wildcat Sanctuary twelve year ago. Back then he wa helping out in the kennel at Cedar Pet Clinic in Minneapoli where ome of the Sanctuary reident would be brought in for treatment. She got to participate in vet day at the Sanctuary original location in Ianti County. Even then, he could tell thi wa a growing anctuary with a paionate Director and that it would be omething great. Year later, Dr. Plantz i now in practice a one of three veterinarian at Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo. She treat around 60 dometic patient a week but till find time to erve a one of the Sanctuary primary veterinarian for wild cat too. Though he didn t have pecific training for wild cat, he had a great deal of on-the-job training while working alongide Dr. Baillie, Medical Director for TWS and owner of Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo. Read the full tory at: WildcatSanctuary.org/wild-cat-vet/ Vet care for TWS reident i provided by Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo www.cedarpetclinic.com 651-770-3250
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NONPROFIT ORG U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT #30308 PO Box 314 Sandtone MN 55072 WildcatSanctuary.org Inide Thi Iue: - Ohio Big Cat Recue - Meet the new Reident - Big Cat Protection & Safety Act move ahead - Match Program 2012 in full wing The 2012 Match Program Don t forget to donate before April 30th o your gift will be doubled up to $33,000! Several amazing donor have generouly come together to match donation received by The Wildcat Sanctuary by April 30th!!! Thank you to: Peggy Fiher and The Stelter Company Dan & Sue Schmitt Jenifer & John Simon & Karen Berg Pleae help u maximize thi wonderful gift! Sierra celebrate her birthday with a huge cake! TWS Sponor-a-Wild-One Program We trive to have at leat one ponorhip per cat but in reality, it take multiple ponor to care for a wild one. Even a mall cat like Abby, a jungle cat, will need many ponor becaue her medication and care cot over $50 per month. Pleae go to WildcatSanctuary. org/ponor-a-wild-one to ee who need more ponorhip and to ponor a wild cat.