Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Monday, January 10, 2011

Tiger Tiger

The Tiger by William Blake
"Tiger Tiger. burning bright,In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye.Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies.Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?What the hand, dare seize the fire? "
It was a Christmas vacation outing for the grandkids. Thus, we were heading an hour south and east of Greeley, Colorado to the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, where large exotic carnivores like tigers and lions were rescued from lives of misery and abuse and given a place to live in peace. As we turned off the graveled road and entered thru a gated cyclone fence, large signs proclaimed the rules. This was not a zoo. You should not slow down nor stop along the fences leading up hill to the buildings. The animals should not be disturbed or approached in any way. We knew right then that it was going to be different..... It was.
It wasn’t a natural setting for these neglected and unwanted animals but they were well cared for, allowed to roam the landscape with others of their kind and each ones history was described in the visitor center, which was part of the viewing platforms, high above the animals.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary is the oldest and largest nonprofit Sanctuary in the US dedicated exclusively to rescuing captive exotic and endangered large carnivores, providing them with a wonderful life for as long as they live, and educating about the tragic plight faced by an estimated 30,000 such animals in America today.
Established by Executive Director Pat Craig in 1980, Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center, DBA The Wild Animal Sanctuary, is a state and federally licensed zoological facility and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
A shocking statistic about America’s Captive Wildlife Crisis…the illicit exotic animal trade is the third largest source of illegal profits in the world today, just after illegal drugs and weapons! In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 30,000 captive large carnivores living outside the zoo system. There are 4,000 Tigers living as "pets" in private homes in just the state of Texas – more Tigers than exist in the wild throughout the world. Countless other Great Cats, Bears, Wolves and other large carnivores live in abusive conditions in roadside stands, circuses, magic acts, traveling shows, and other substandard situations. Untold numbers of animals suffer and die each year due to neglect, abuse or because they are abandoned and left to die, starving and alone.
In spite of the huge costs of maintaining this facility (thousands of dollars a day for food alone), more space is being added all the time. There were over 200 tigers plus other big cats, bears and wolves (some half dog).
As we finished our visit, the kids were taking a potty break, supervised by son Tony and Gramma. I headed out to the parking lot to warm up in the car. It was deserted, as we were the last to leave. Spotting some trash on the blacktop, I picked it up (Minnesotans do that sort of thing) and headed for a dumpster along the fence. As I approached it, I saw two tigers sleeping in the grass. Not wanting to disturb their sleep, I set the lid down very gently. At that instant both tigers raised their heads and turned to look at me. Now, cutting to the chase, I've crossed sandbars on remote rivers in Montana (flyfishing) and seen fresh grizzley tracks. I've heard wolves howling in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and almost collided with a bull moose coming down a portage in the same area. Still, when the tigers began to approach me, a primal moment occured. I looked at the cyclone fence between us (forgetting for the moment that the top was electrified) and thought "my god a deer could jump over this baby." I started backing up before my wits returned and I could breathe. I'm sure I will be able to conjur up that image the rest of my life..... and hope that their cousins can remain free in the wild. And that people will give up the silly idea that these magnificent carnivores make "good pets."

12 comments:

  1. They're gorgeous! Majestic! Beautiful. Sounds like a wonderful place to visit - especially considering how well the animals are cared for. Sure to be a memorable visit for you given the adrenaline surge you must've experienced at the end ;)

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  2. How terrible that we have so little respect for these marvelous animals. I cringe every time I hear stories about "pets" that didn't work out.

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  3. Feeding them and cleaning up would be a major battle. I can't believe these would ever be considered a pet.

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  4. Beautiful creatures..I feel sad for them that they were taken from their homes..and can never really return. Our dog is wild enough for us!
    What a good outing to share with your Grands.. :)

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  5. What a wonderful place to visit! All those beautiful animals, it breaks the heart to think someone was cruel to these magnificent beings. It is so wonderful when there is someplace that looks after these creatures.

    xo Catherine

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  6. I think there is something very selfish about people that try and keep these animals. Plus the fact, you know it will likely end in a bad situation.

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  7. Why anyone would try to keep one as a pet is beyond understanding. So glad facilities like this exist to try and right a wrong for these beautiful creatures.

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  8. It's wonderful that there is such a place to rescue these animals, although I agree with you that it's a shame some people think these magnificent creatures would make a good pet.

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  9. How lucky you and your family are to be able to travel like this! What an experience for the children!

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  10. What a wonderful place!

    It behooves me why anyone would have a wild animal. And abuse of any animal is reprehensible.

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  11. It’s so sad that these wild animals ended up in illegal captivity but good to see that an organization is caring for them. I had no idea the stats were so bad. Have you read Life of Pi? That is a great tiger story.

    Cute grandkids too.

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  12. People who want to have such "pets" should be subject to being caged for a week, themselves. At least. Idiots!

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