The Time I Reported on Tigers!

One of the best things about being a journalist is being sent on assignments. This allows me to experience things I would otherwise probably not do. For example did you see my IG story earlier this year on the Polar Bear Plunge?  There is no way I would ever jump into icy water in February, but I was happy to report on everyone else doing it!

Exotic cat rescue

One of the best assignments I've been sent on was reporting on an  exotic animal refuge in Central Pennsylvania. Since the movie The Tiger King is gaining so much popularity these days, I thought perhaps this might be of interest.



I invited my husband along on this assignment and we both got a private tour from the owner. The animal refuge I visited was called T &D Cats of the World, and it is the home to not only lions, tigers, and other large felines, but bears, wolves, primates,and some exotic birds.

Exotic animal cat rescue

The truth is, ninety five percent of the animals at this refuge were animals that were confiscated from homes across the United States and Canada because they were owned illegally.  The other five percent are animals that have been retired from zoos. The main reason the animals get removed from a home is because the owners either underestimated how much it took to care for an exotic animal, such as how large they will get, the facilities they will need to live in, or how much food they will need. Each tiger will eat between 30 and 40 pounds of meat per day and sometimes up to 100 pounds. I will spare you the details as to where that meat comes from!

exotic animal rescue cats

Another reason an exotic animal may end up at the refuge is that it is no longer "useful" to the owner.  Often times when people start their own exotic animal park or show (like what you may have seen on TV),  the owners can make money off of the cubs by charging for photo ops, playtime, etc, and then when they are a bit older they can perform. When the animal is no longer "cute"  or it becomes too old to perform tricks,( and becomes dangerous), some owners do not want to continue to put in the expense of feeding it and taking care of it.  That is where the animal refuge steps in.


One frequently asked question is always Why aren't these animals released back into the wild?
Well, remember most of these animals were brought into homes or zoos at a very young age therefore they lack the necessary skills to survive in the wild on their own. They would become prey very quickly.

I really do love zoos but after visiting an animal refuge like this one and watching that series The Tiger King, it really makes you wonder how the animals are treated. (I'm sure the larger zoo like the Brooklyn Zoo or the Philadelphia Zoo, have certain regulations. I'm talking more about those roadside zoos and animal farms).

So let's talk....Have you ever been to an Exotic Animal Refuge? Have you seen the Tiger King?  What did you think?  -M


16 comments:

  1. I have never seen Tiger King but so many people are talking and writing about it, I want to watch an episode to see if I like it. I have to get control of the remote away from my husband first, though! :)

    When the crisis with the virus is over, I am going to research T &D Cats of the World and see exactly where it is. My grandsons would love it! I bet we are not too far away.

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    1. Yes, definitely check out T & D Cats. Also, even if you are not into the first episode of Tiger King, you have to keep watching!

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  2. Tiger King, though was good "trash tv" in the first few episodes, really left me sad and disgusted. I think a lot more than just Joe (the main character) should have gone to jail...

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    1. I know what you mean. The entire time I watched I kept saying " Is this for real"?

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  3. I've always loved the big cats--they are just so beautiful! Tiger King alternately amused me and made me sad. These majestic animals, stuck in cages with such icky people? Aaaay....

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  4. I haven't seen Tiger King but I keep hearing people talk about it. It is so sad that the animals are treated this way :( But I'm glad that there are refuges like this that can take the animals in when needed.

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    1. Yea, I really think people under estimate what it takes to care for a large cat!

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  5. I'm almost done with Tiger King and it's as crazy as everyone said it was. At first the Joe guy made me laugh but toward the last few episodes I became so mad with the condition that the animals were living in - so sad!

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    1. I can't believe the conditions that everyone there was living in!

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  6. I have not been to an exotic animal farm myself but looks really interesting. I had no idea this was such a thing until I watched Tiger King

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    1. I wasn't aware that there were so many exotic animal parks until I saw the show. Seems like they have very few regulations.

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  7. I'm gonna start watching Tiger King this weekend... but seriously - what are people thinking??? Like they can really take care of animals like this?... NOPE - dont want to know where the meat comes from

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  8. Lions and tigers and bears? Oh, my! What a fabulous opportunity. I also have mixed feelings about these sorts of places, including zoos. I've not visited any animal refuge, but we do live near the Brookfield and Lincoln Park Zoos in Chicago and have visited throughout our lifetimes. As for the series, I have ZERO interest in tuning in.

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    1. I do hope that these large zoos have better regulations than these exotic animal parks.

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Fairytales and Fitness is a personal blog authored and edited by us, Meranda and Lacey. The thoughts expressed here represent only our own and are not meant to be taken as professional advice. Please note that our thoughts and opinions change from time to time. We consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind in an ever changing society. Any thoughts and opinions expressed within our out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those we may express today. Some links may contain affiliate links. Some links are just to pages we'd like to share.