Big Cats- Visit to Shambala rescue

[West Coast Jungle]

Today I had the priviledge of visiting Tippi Hedren's Big Cat rescue Shambala. Here are a few pics and a link to my photobucket page with more pics, too many to post all of them.


I was charged by this beautiful Leopard "Savanah" I think I'm in love


You don't get this close too often


Link to photobucket http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w...ala/?start=all


Here is a link to Shambala and the Roar foundation. http://www.shambala.org/

I think I am going to become an adopted parent of Savanah my new love

[joepythons]

Kinda wants to make you pet the kitty cat ,thanks for sharing

[SarahMB]

*gasp*
Oh my gosh, Raul, I am so completely green with envy! They are all so beautiful and majestic.
I couldn't pick a favorite, but I think Servil and Boo need to be mine. I will love them and squeeze them and hug them.....

[Sunny1]

WOW!! I love the big cats! I took an animal behavior class at our local zoo once and we got to see the tigers up close and behind the scenes, and I thought that was an amazing experience. I couldn't imagine seeing all those cats up close like that. That must have been really amazing for you!! Those are great pics!!

[catawhat75]

Awesome pics, I bet it was great day. I visited a big cat preserve near Akron once and it was amazing.
*runs off to look at the other pics*

[catawhat75]

Ohhh I am so jealous now, you got *that* close to a mountain lion! They are the most beautiful animals on this earth.

Oh and how cute, the lions were.. uh hem... "hugging" just like the kangaroos I saw at the zoo, lol.

[frankykeno]

Oh I remember seeing something about Tippy and her work with the big cats on Animal Planet last year. Looks like you had an amazing experience, Raul!

[Rapture]

Thanks so much for the pics! Looks like they had some hybrids as well as a variety of pure big cats. I'm wondering about that mating photo though, I hope they are not breeding them at a rescue?

[West Coast Jungle]

Thanks so much for the pics! Looks like they had some hybrids as well as a variety of pure big cats. I'm wondering about that mating photo though, I hope they are not breeding them at a rescue?

No, they do no breeding whatsoever. The female cats are fixed but the males aren't. Apparently if you fix a male lion his mane will fall out as well as other behavior problems. Most of these cats are rescues from people who thought they would make great pets and lived in horrid conditions or the entertainment business(T.V., movies, circus). Two of the tigers were from Exxon commercials. The black leopard for example was from a private owner left in a closet much of the time. The Liger (lion father and tiger mother) was rescued from wierd animal exhibit place and lived in a 10x8 enclosure and could barely turn around completely. When first brought over they thought atrophy of the hind legs might leave him crippled but he has responded well and has a huge enclosure to run around. He came very close to spraying me when I was getting pics and I trampled some lady getting away from the bad boy. These hybrids have all kinds of organ and glandular problems because they are gigantic cats with the hearts, lungs, organs of normal size cats. Patrick is doing well and is 14 + years which is exceptional for a liger.

These animals are awe inspiring and the care is impecable. They have recieved many animals fron Tiger rescue where the owner was thrown in jail for neglect and abuse. He would breed cubs to charge bid $ for pics with them and then kill them when they got to be too much!

You have to be over 18 to see these animals and the visit costs $40 but it is a dream come true for animal lovers. I plan on adopting a leopard which means contributing $ then i can visit them once a month and feed them large femur bones with meat(very cool). The $ is tax deductable and goes towrds the care of these amazing creatures. They are feed human quality beef to aviod disease(very expensive). The Liger alone eats over 15 pounds of meat a day plus treats.

Thanks for looking and enjoy.

My jungle will be complete with a big cat! LOL

[West Coast Jungle]

Oh yeah I almost forgot, 2 of Michael Jacksons tigers are there. After he abandoned them (left neverland ranch and never returned) the staff remained for 1 year without pay to care for the tigers. Eventually they ran out of resources and they were sent to Shambala.