TURPENTINE CREEK FOUNDATION INC

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has rescued over 500 big cats, bears, and other exotic animals from neglect and abuse since being founded in 1992. However, the story of this frontrunner among U.S. sanctuaries first began 14 years earlier, at the home of the Jackson family in Hughes Springs, Texas. Co-Founder and President Tanya Smith was only 11 years old when her parents, animal lovers Don and Hilda Jackson, took in an abandoned lion cub in 1978 that had been living chained to a tree after being abandoned in a parking lot. Next, in 1982, they rescued another unwanted lion. Adult lions can weigh up to 420 pounds and eat an estimated 10-25 lbs. of meat per day; their backyard would soon prove inadequate space for the big cats to run and participate in enrichment activities safely. Then, in 1991 a notorious breeder and black-market dealer named Catherine Twiss showed up on the Jackson’s doorstep. She was on the run from law enforcement with 42 big cats crammed into three cattle trailers and desperate to find a place for the cats. Overnight the Jacksons became responsible for rescuing and moving all the cats to a 460-acre ranch offered by a friend as a temporary refuge just south of the picturesque mountain village, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Over the next year, they built enclosures, addressed health concerns, and sourced the necessary meat and other food for the 70 plus animals Twiss eventually left with them. Soon, it became evident that big cat ownership was a serious issue being faced across the United States as calls came in from people who had bought or inherited big cats and could not care for them. In response to these calls for help, the Jacksons did what most would only dream of – sold everything, bought the ranch, and passionately went to work for the animals. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge was awarded verified status in 2015 and accredited status in 2017 by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), one of only thirteen U.S. Felid sanctuaries to attain this status which indicates they uphold the highest standards in the world of animal care and safety. From 2016-2017 TWCR staged the largest rescue in U.S. history of 115 animals from a closed breeding/cub petting facility in Colorado and helped establish the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance (BCSA). The Refuge networks with fellow BCSA members and law enforcement officials to coordinate nationwide rescues from closing roadside zoos, animal abuse court cases, illegal wildlife traffickers, and private owners unable to properly care for their exotic pets. Wildlife experts estimate that there are 2-3 times more tigers living in the United States – 7,000 – 10,000 - than in the wild, with little to no regulations keeping them, their owners, and the public safe. As few as 6% live in AZA-accredited zoos. Too many exist in far from ideal situations with backyard breeders, roadside zoos, and in privately- owned backyards, basements and warehouses. Most are survivors of the cub-petting industry. https://www.turpentinecreek.org/rescues/ Today, TCWR continues to rescue and care for an average of 90 animals yearly, in 64 grassy habitats with a team of zoologists, wildlife biologists, wildlife interpreters, and a veterinarian. Our animal care team continually works to better the quality of life for captive wildlife, sharing this information with our fellow BCSA members and accredited zoos. Meanwhile, the TCWR Public Education Team of Certified Wildlife Interpreters presents their STEM curriculum to teach youth how to become wildlife advocates and adopt a sustainable lifestyle in visits to Arkansas classrooms, in educational tours at the Refuge, and to 102 countries via Skype in the Classroom and Zoom. The TCWR education website https://education.turpentinecreek.org/ allows educators worldwide to book virtual classroom lessons and virtual field trips that let students meet the animals of TCWR as they would in person while learning their stories, species information, and how to save them for the future. The site includes downloadable lesson plans, information on our summer day camps, upcoming events, and more.