BIG
CAT RESCUE (BCR) by Daphne Butters |
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This article was written in January 2002 MAKING
DREAMS A REALITY Have you ever dreamed of visiting a place with over 170 exotic cats, from lions to leopard cats, tigers to bobcats, 22 species in all, available for the public to see? Well there is such a place, just ten minutes from Tampa International Airport in Florida. When I found Wildlife on Easy Street on the Internet I could not believe my eyes. Despite the fact that it was three thousand miles away in America, I knew that I just had to visit this place. I stumbled upon Wildlife on Easy Street (WOES) by chance while searching for information about Sand Cats, a small feline species living in the Sahara and the Middle East, for an essay I was writing for my feline studies diploma. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I read page after page about different rescued wild cats living at the sanctuary. At the time, my husband was trying to find me a very special present for my 40th birthday. Now I really knew what I wanted – a trip to WOES would be a dream come true. Male Sand Cat at Twycross Zoo, August 2001 Wildlife
on Easy Street was started in 1993 by Carole Lewis and her husband Don.
Carole’s affinity towards cats (which included breeding Persian Longhairs
for a while) would eventually lead her to having one of the largest exotic
cat rescue sanctuaries in the world. Carole is a Real Estate Agent (similar
to an estate agent in the UK). One day back in the early 1990s she attended
an exotic animal auction and amongst the items for sale was a Bobcat kitten.
Thinking that it would be a great idea to own one of these cats, Carole
bid and bought it. Shortly afterwards, she thought that it would be nice
for her Bobcat to have a few friends, so after much searching, managed
to locate a place where Bobcats were bred. She drove from Florida to Minnesota,
and upon arriving at the farm, was horrified to find that it was actually
a fur farm. In her naivety, she thought that the owners were probably
breeding mink, went ahead and chose her six new Bobcat kittens. After
choosing her new babies, she casually asked what would happen to the other
Bobcats if they weren’t sold. She was told that they would be used in
the fur trade. (A point to note is that only the pale tummy fur is used,
the rest of the pelt is discarded and it takes twenty Bobcats to make
one fur coat!) Horrified, she bought all 56 Bobcats and brought them back
to Florida, where she enlisted the help of friends and family to raise
them. Being just a couple of weeks old, they still needed to be bottle-fed
and it was a round the clock job for all concerned. So Wildlife on Easy
Street was born. Being in Real Estate, Carole had her finger on the pulse and eventually managed to locate 40 acres of derelict land, being sold very cheaply because it was a filled-in refuse dump, full of old bicycles, cans and rubbish. Over the years it has been transformed into a leafy refuge for rescued large cats and today you would never guess its original purpose. According to those who work there, an occasional piece of metal can still rise to the surface after very heavy rainfall and the volunteers spend much time checking that the ground is safe to walk on for both man and feline. Now
landscaped, it is difficult to imagine that this used to be a refuse site Over
the years many cats have spent time at Wildlife on Easy Street. Unlike
in Britain, where one must hold a special licence to obtain a wild cat,
in America it is very different – if you know where to look, you can buy
a tiger cub on a street corner in Miami or from sites on the internet,
and take it home – no major restrictions or licence required, although
some states do require a permit. Cute as they may seem when they are small
kittens or cubs, they soon grow into large animals, and many become unmanageable
in a home environment. The lucky few end up here, but many more are destroyed
or sold to game farms in the USA where people will pay to hunt and kill
them. Hearing this really made me feel quite sick and I am very thankful
that we have more restrictions in the UK to prevent similar occurrences. In all, I made three visits to WOES during my week in Florida. Having arrived at Tampa on Thursday evening, I spent Friday visiting a Maine Coon breeder and then, with two American friends, headed to the sanctuary for a “Wild Eyes At Night” experience. This event takes place on the last Friday of every month, after dark, about 8.00pm in our case. Our guide, Jennifer, took us around the sanctuary in the dark, with just a flashlight. It was a good opportunity to see some of the shyer cats, many of which sleep during the day. It was quite daunting to see the 850 lbs Siberian-Bengal cross Tiger come bounding up to us from the hidden depths of his three acre pad. Known as Shere Khan, his story is all too familiar to those working at WOES. Provisionally sold as a very small cub by a tiger breeder, his new owners refused to pick him up, because he was not white, and the breeder kept him in a pet carrier until he was four months old when Don and Carole discovered him, while flying through Indiana. Consequently he did not receive enough calcium, nutrition and exercise and by the time he arrived at WOES some three months later, his teeth and bones were in a very sorry state. His baby teeth were disgraceful and had rotted through his face, causing the need for surgical drains to be installed. After much supplement and tender loving care he is now the largest cat on the premises although he still doesn’t look “quite perfect”. There are several cats living at Wildlife on Easy Street who have suffered a comparable fate with similar consequences Shere Khan (left) and China Doll (right) As we wandered round in the darkness we were greeted by various noises as the cats recognised Jennifer, from tigers chuffing to lions roaring. We met Nikita, a lion cub who was WOES’s latest addition, arriving just a couple of weeks before my visit. What a character, chasing her tail, rolling over and doing head stands. She had been confiscated from a drug dealer during a raid and spent a short time at a zoo before arriving. Because she had been de-clawed, she could not remain at the zoo to run with fully-clawed lions and money was raised to bring her here, along with three Bobcats rescued at the same time. Nikita the lion cub. We also met Shaquiel, a rather shy Black Leopard who had been badly mistreated by his pervious owner when he wouldn’t perform in a Las Vegas nightclub. As we walked round we saw Fishing Cats, Jungle Cats, Servals, Caracals, Lynx, Bobcats, Ocelots, and lots of Pumas (also known as Mountain Lions or Cougars) as well as the odd domestic cat. This tour lasted almost two hours, and was well worth the $20 we paid. The following day we started our real adventure, known as “Expedition”. Arriving at 9.00am, we were taken through the rules before being given our “Volunteer” t-shirts, which we were told to wear at all times when on site to allow identification. The main rule is “The Three Foot Rule”. Even if there are no barriers between you and the cats’ pen for some reason, and even if it seems the sweetest cat in the world, rubbing its head along the cage wire, don’t ever go closer than three feet. After all we, are dealing with wild cats here, some of which would just love to taste a finger or two. Failure to obey this rule leads to immediate expulsion from the site. Of course, there are occasions when the three-foot rule doesn’t count – but more about that later. After our initial talk, we then headed off into the main sanctuary to meet the cats. For anyone who wishes to see wild cats up close, this place really is a dream come true. We were greeted by Shere Khan – looking even bigger in the light of day, and his companion, China Doll. We watched Pisces the Fishing Cat dive into his pool for food, half a dozen ex-circus tigers all looking for attention, three lions including Nikita, the cub, still doing headstands and chasing her tail, Enya the cougar, who was recovering from liver failure, various groups of Lynx with the biggest ear tips I have ever seen, Bobcats lazing in the grass, Ocelots with amazing coat markings, Amur Leopard Cats, Jungle Cats, Servals being “hissy” (apparently that’s what they are best at), elegant Caracals, huge Leopards both spotted and black and five Sand Cats, the species that had helped me to find WOES in the first place. Pisces the Fishing Cat The list goes on and on. Each cat had its own story, and many did enjoy human attention, coming over to greet out tour guide, Jamie. As well as cats, there was also a group of Binturongs (Bear Cats, not a real cat but a member of the mongoose family) including a big male called Banjo, clumsily climbing a tree. When he gets excited he smells like popcorn cooking! There was a family of lemurs, who arrived after their owners divorced. But the love of my life was Hercules, a male Snow Leopard. He was just wonderful, with a tail so long that it curled round and round over his back, and feet that looked far to big for the body, reminding me of a clown. Hercules was house-reared but now lives in at large purpose-built cat-a-tat (WOES’s name for a cage) with a walk-in freezer cleverly hidden in fake rock, which enables him to keep cool during the hot Florida summers. It was quite a shock to learn that this endangered species can still be purchased as a pet in America. I really loved him and visited him several times during my time at the sanctuary. Hercules We were accompanied on our tour by various domestic cats, which were free to go where they liked. Interestingly, they were all well aware of the three-foot rule too! I guess that they would only make a mistake once, judging by how interested the big cats were in them. Fancy, one of the domestic cats The
tour lasted about two hours and then we started our interaction. Some
of the cats are so tame that people are allowed to go into their cat-a-tat
with them and this is when the three-foot rule can be broken. Before entering
each cage, we disinfected our hands, and were reminded that we were now
entering their home and should respect this fact. If they didn’t wish
to be petted, then it was their choice and we mustn’t pursue them. This
was my chance to actually touch Caracals,
Lynx, Bobcats and a Serval. Elijah, one of the Caracals, took an instant
liking to me, making a beeline for me on each occasion – he wanted my
camera, he rubbed against my legs and on one occasion tried to jump up.
Sadly this last action meant that we had to leave – the cats are not allowed
to jump up for safety reasons, and this rule is strictly adhered to. The
rising star of the interactive cats was Moses – a Southern Bobcat who
had been left, dumped in a carrier, at the gates of the sanctuary a few
months previously. Still a kitten, he just wanted to play, and when you
threw his toys (yes, cat toys just like we have at home, but bigger) he
would bring them back to you. It is difficult to believe that I played
ball with Bobcats, felt the difference in coat texture between them and
the Lynx, and stroked a very beautiful Serval called Esmerelda. We had
three interactive sessions in total, visiting seven different cat-a-tats
and it was a great opportunity to take photos without the cage wire being
in the way. After
a short break for lunch, we were off again. The first afternoon activity
was training – the cats, not us. This is not performance training, but
essential training, getting the cats to stand up on their hind legs against
the cage wire so the paws and underbody can be examined. They also learn
to go into their “lock-out”, a small cage attached to each cat-a-tat.
Their water is kept here, and this is where they are fed so they associate
this place with good things. But there is another important feature of
the lock-out. If an animal needs to be closely examined, given medical
treatment or moved (either to visit the vet, or in extreme weather conditions,
such as a hurricane), this is where they go. The lock-out is detachable,
enabling a safely caged animal to be transported as required.
We all got the chance to try our hand at training, some worked
with Conan, a large tiger, others including myself, worked with Catrina,
the cougar, getting her to stand up, go into “lock-out” and sit down on
all fours. We did have a few problems with my English accent, but got
there eventually. Reward was given in the form of a piece of meat on a
long stick and the cats seem to enjoy this interaction.
One
of my friends, David, works with Conan The next session was enrichment, where we all had to make up special boxes of goodies. We placed meat, fish, or large bones together with fresh herbs in the box before sealing it and rubbing the outside to make it smell attractive to the cat. Our job was to hide the box in the cat’s pen, whilst the cat was safely locked up in its lock-out. Then the cat was released to find its box. I hid my box in Sabre’s pen. Even though this huge black leopard was safely locked up, the adrenaline still pumped around my body as I entered his cat-a-tat. On his release, he sniffed round before jumping up on the mound where the box lay and began to tear it open. It was interesting to note that in the majority of cases, the cats were more interested in ripping up the box to play with, rather than eating its contents, a sign that these cats were very well fed. Hiding
the box in Sabre's cat-a-tat After another interactive session, it was time to give the cats their daily feed. At this point of the day, its all hands on deck with over two hundred animals to feed before darkness falls. The sanctuary has three full time employees and about thirty volunteers who work on a rota to keep things ticking over. Many of the volunteers have a full time job and still manage to spend a further twenty to forty hours a week working at the sanctuary. There are different grades of volunteer, depending on their hours and experience. Some spend their time working in the gift shop, others keep the grounds tidy or cut up food. Gradually, as their experience widens, they will start to help with the various animals, eventually having more responsibility for certain felines. It is plain to see that these people build up excellent bonds with their charges; helping them to overcome any difficulties they had prior to arriving at WOES. We all got the chance to feed Shere Khan - he ate nine chicken legs at one sitting. Other food in the form of red meat chunks and minced meat mixed with vitamin and mineral powder are also given to ensure the cats obtain a healthy balanced diet. Each cat has a set diet, listed on a sheet, and on Sundays the cats are not fed at all, to give their bodies a “rest day”. This is an approved method at zoos and sanctuaries across the world, for keeping the carnivorous cats in the best of health. As we approached each pen, the cats ran into their lock-out, ready for their dinner. I also fed a cougar, although this cat wasn’t quite as polite as the tiger and snatched the large chunk of red meat greedily. During feeding time, I was lucky enough to see Two Toes, the Bobcat that I had adopted back in the summer. She is an ex-fur farm cat and very nervous, only coming out to eat. I had originally chosen to adopt her because of her name, in memory of one of my old cats, also called Two Toes. Because she is so nervous, no one had ever adopted her, probably because they never get to see her. I was fortunate, managing to obtain some video of her eating her food. Me
feeding Shere Khan As
darkness fell, we left the main body of the sanctuary to head for our
cabin, since we had made arrangements to spend the night there. Once it
becomes dark, you are not allowed to wander around the site just in case
you trip over the barriers and have an accident. However, you may leave
the site but must be back by 10.00 pm. I had booked the Kenya Cabin, which
was part of a converted barn. However, once inside you would never have
guessed it, with all modern conveniences, such as TV and microwave present.
The décor was amazing, photos of African wild cats hung on every wall,
drapes and cushions of lions, and even the shower curtain design was big
cats. The bedspread was of lions and tigers and to top the lot we had
CCTV, which focused on the Sand Cats. What more could we ask for? Right
outside out door was a cat-a-tat where Little Feather, one of the original
Bobcats lived and we spent a considerable amount of time watching her
prowl around her pen in the darkness. We could also hear the lions roaring
in the distance. The
following morning we took a walk around the sanctuary to see the cats
again before meeting with the others for our last interaction of the tour.
Once again we played ball with the bobcats, especially Raindance who was
a real favourite, threw toys for Moses, and Elijah the Caracal took another
liking to my jeans. Thankfully no one sprayed on us during our visit,
but it is not unheard of! Before leaving I made arrangements to adopt
Hercules and Canyon the Sand Cat who was responsible for me find the sanctuary
in the first place. As the gate closed behind us and we drove back up
the dirt track to the main road, I knew that my dream had finally become
reality. I had been able to spend time with wild cats. Moses
the Bobcat enjoys playing with one of the guests According
to the web site, Wildlife on East Street isn’t too easy to find because
they are not allowed to have a big sign to advertise it. There is just
a small discreet sign on a post with the picture of a running tiger. However,
we had no problems finding the place, and it really is just ten minutes
or so from Tampa International Airport. I left the sanctuary feeling rather
bitter-sweet and very emotional. Whilst it had been wonderful to see so
many feline species in one place, the fact that they were all there because
they were rescued or unwanted was very sad. Some had been abused or severely
underfed at their previous home. However, they are the lucky ones – in
2001, twenty-three new cats arrived, but fifty-one had to be turned away
though lack of space and finances. This place has no outside financial
help, it must be self-supporting and in 2001 it cost around $375,000 to
maintain, $347,000 was raised in donations and the rest came out of Carole
Lewis’ own pocket. One hundred percent of all donations go towards caring
for the animals. But
that wasn’t the end of my experience. The following Thursday I convinced
my friend Melissa that we needed to go back to take just one more look,
so we got up at 6.00 am, drove north for an hour and a half (I was by
this time staying with some friends near Sarasota) and arrived for the
standard morning tour, where we once again visited the various cats and
had interactive time with my friend Elijah. I was fortunate enough to
meet the founder, Carole Lewis, with whom I had been in contact via e-mail
over several months. It was great to put a face to the name. I told her
that it’s a pity that WOES is so far away from Sheffield, since I would
have loved to become a real volunteer.
Carole (right) and I meet Wildlife
on Easy Street has had some famous visitors, including Ian Anderson of
the rock group “Jethro Tull”. Ian is a real cat lover, who actually has
a link from his website to WOES. I managed to contact Ian, telling him
of my experiences at the sanctuary. Ian replied, saying of WOES, “Like
all sanctuaries of that sort, they have the dilemma of showing for the
public and housing animals who have sometimes been mentally or physically
abused, rehoused from private facilities or dodgy zoos. But they do a
good job and seem to have a great rapport with the animals, many of whom
are quite sociable with humans”. I
hear people ask “Why can’t they be released back into the wild, especially
the cats native to North America?” Well the truth is, these cats have
all been hand-raised, usually taken from their mothers at only a few days
old, so they would not be capable of looking after themselves if released.
Occasionally, cats come along which can be released, and these do eventually
go back to live in the wild, but the vast majority end their days at Wildlife
on Easy Street. Melissa with Catrina the cougar My
dream came true – I got to play, pet, train and feed lots of different
wild cats. Whilst it is very tempting to want to handle them in the same
way I handle my domestic cats at home, it is important to remember that
these are wild cats, and therefore, to a degree, unpredictable. The volunteers
do a fabulous job, its not all fun – cages to clean, maintenance work
to do, but they seem to do it with a smile on their face and are always
willing to answer questions, no matter how obscure they may be. These
people obviously love their work. However, if you ask the volunteers what
they would really like for the sanctuary – the majority will answer “For
this place not to be needed anymore”. Sadly, because of human nature,
it seems unlikely that their dreams will become reality unless there are
major changes to the laws on keeping exotic animals. As
for me – well my visit was certainly one of the most memorable experiences
of my life, but being interested in the smaller cat species, which are
rarely seen in zoos, this is not unexpected. Considering that I went thinking
that this was “ the trip of a lifetime, a one-off experience”, my friends
are not surprised to learn that I am now saving up to do it all again
some day.
To contact Keverstone Cats - telephone 0114 2692306 (from within the UK)
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