Happy Tiger At Shelter That Saved Joe Exotic Big Cats
This is the moment a rescued tiger takes a break to groom himself after a hearty meal at a wildlife sanctuary in Colorado that saved big cats from Joe Exotic.
The video with the huge tiger was taken in the Town of Keenesburg in the State of Colorado in the US and posted by The Wild Animal Sanctuary.
As can be seen in the footage, the tiger, named Budahshay, is having a grooming session while lying in the snow just after his delicious breakfast.
Lying in a sunny spot on the snow, Budahshay licks his giant paw thoroughly and then rubs it on his face. The wild cat seems to be enjoying himself.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary told Newsflash that Budahshay, along with his brother, Bailey, were part of 24 animals suffering from declining care at an animal rescue facility in Spearfish, South Dakota, since they were cubs. That facility accepted both domestic and exotic animals, so it started suffering from overcrowding and mismanagement.
Because of this, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) became involved after noting that many of the exotic animals showed signs of being undernourished. The director of Spearfish initially opposed surrendering the animals, so the USDA was prepared to legally confiscate the animals. The animals were then surrendered to The Wild Animal Sanctuary.
Now Budahshay, his brother and many other majestic cats live lives of relative freedom on 35 acres area of forested habitat at The Wild Animal Refuge and never have to worry about starving or having enough food again, the centre said.
Tigers are the largest living wild cats species and members of the genus Panthera. Particularly in countries with a high population, they are also victims of human-wildlife conflict and are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary told Newsflash they were founded in 1980 and they operate today as a state and federally licensed zoological facility and a nonprofit organization. The Wild Animal Sanctuary said that it is the largest and oldest sanctuary of its kind in the World.
They told Newsflash that they are “home to more than 600 residents” and that these include “tigers, Mountain lions, African lions, Black bears, Grizzly bears, wolves, leopards, hyenas, bobcats, African servals, lynxes, foxes, coyotes, Coati Mundi, wallabies and kangaroos, raccoons, emus and ostriches, camels, yaks, alpacas, horses and donkeys, and dogs and cats” that they have rescued.
They added that the “number of rescued wildlife is over 70.”
So far, the sanctuary has saved 91 animals from the stars of the Netflix series “Tiger King”. They strongly disagree with the lifestyle of the “so-called” star of the series, Joe Exotic. The sanctuary is determined to rescue even more animals from the hands of these exploiters.
They explained: “We believe there are many ways to save the animals.”
As well as donations, which they also accept in cryptocurrency, and sponsors, the sanctuary said it is open to volunteering, internships, celebrity endorsements, adoptions, fundraisers, promotions, vehicle donations and scouting projects.