Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

TCWR Evening of Art - Hot Springs, AR. Thursday!

This event is for Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and is Hosted By artists, Lisa and D. Arthur Wilson. The event will be held Thursday, November 13 from 6:30 - 9:00 PM at Legacy Fine Art on central Avenue. We will have BB King and Mack, the two young tigers you've recently read about along with Spyke the baby black leopard. Call 501-525-4245 or 501-520-7419 for any questions. See ya' there!

Scott.

 

Also, coming Monday...Feature stories on TCWR animals!

 

Thanks for your support and I hope to see you there.

Turpentine Creek Update

Message From Scott - TCWR Blogger - Feedback Desired.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is my life. My passion for furthering the refuge's mission runs deep within me. If you are reading this I am sure your passion equals mine. Thanks, the animals need you.

After the last few blog updates were sent I received a few emails from TCWR supporters who desire to put me back on track with this blog. These emails were sent to me from the hearts of a few people and really made me re-evaluate the purpose of this blog. Originally it was started to keep those of you who love the animals informed. The past few months I have strayed, focusing mainly on fundraising. As most of you probably know that is one of my many jobs at the refuge. In the future I will do my best to focus on what you want to know based on your feedback. This is an interactive medium and I need your help. What do you want to know? What do you want to see? Take this as an invitation to communicate. I am here most days and am in touch with the everyday activities of both the staff and the animals. How can I best give you what you want?

Now, with that said, I must let you know that fundraising must continue for the refuge to continue to provide the quality care the animals deserve. I will be providing you with opportunities to donate in unique ways. Also, there is always that little paypal button in the upper right of each blog. I will also have a button at the bottom of each blog giving you the opportunity to donate on a recurring basis. Help us build a strong foundation for longevity.

Your blogger from the heart,

Scott

 

New Winter Hours 

  Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a USDA licensed facility dedicated to the rescue and care of unwanted and abandoned Big Cats. TCWR is open everyday 9 AM- 5 PM. Guided habitat tours begin every hour on the hour from 11AM- 3 PM and are lead by trained biologist and zoologist. TCWR will feed the Big Cats at 4 PM daily.

  2009 Single Memberships $30.00, Family Memberships $50.00, animal adoptions and sponsorships are also available.

  TCWR Gift Shop is open all year. 2009 Calendars, gift certificates, stuffed animals, Big Cat photos, cups, glasses, t-shirts, sweat shirts, jackets all make wonderful gifts for the hard to shop for person in your life.

  Come enjoy hearing the sounds of the lions caroling all throughout the night. Lodging on premises is a fun and inexpensive way to have some quality time with your friends and family. 2 Bed and Big Cat rooms, 1 Tree house, 5 Zulu Safari Lodges (adults only at lodge) and 7 RV sites create a fantastic place to have a unique reunion. All proceeds of your stay go to benefit the mission. 

  TCWR is located 7 miles south of Eureka Springs, Arkansas on Scenic Hwy. 23. Please come for a visit anytime.  F.M.I please call 479-253-5841, www.turpentinecreek.org or email tigers@turpentinecreek.org

2009 Calendars On Sale Now

Jack update click here

To insure TCWR's future, click the button below to safely donate on a recurring basis.

Blog Entry dated 10/14/2008 2:17 PM

2009 Calendars On Sale Now.

 

2009 Calendars On Sale Now. They are just $10 each so buy a few for holiday gifts. To purchase simply click the button below.

 

Photograph of a pumpkin carved by Sean McCanless.

See over 100 exotic cats up close and personal at night.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge announces its 13th Annual Howl-O-Ween Spooktacular & Fundraiser! Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is only open one night out of every year; Saturday October 25,  at 7 PM. Prepare for scary personal encounters with the Big Cats and other exotics.  Enter the main compound and see the glowing eyes of the Big Cats staring at you. Enjoy a hay ride past the animals in their large natural enclosures to a huge open field. Be prepared to be scared on our haunted “Trail of Terror”.  Not recommended for the young or faint at heart. There will be a costume contest, games, prizes and a concession stand for food & drinks. Visitors to the Refuge during the day are allowed free entry to the party in the evening. Regular admission fees apply. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a nonprofit organization and all donations go to help support the Big Cats.   We are located 7 miles south of Eureka Springs, Arkansas on scenic Highway 23.

 

October 2008 Newsletter Online Now

Click the Button below to view the October 2008 Newsletter Online. The online version is in full color and easy to download. Just double-click the newsletter you wish to read. The latest newsletter is on top.

Click Here

 

 

 

For more information call (479) 253-5841 www.tigers.tc

Turpentine Creek Fall Fun!

October 2008 Newsletter Online Now

Click the Button below to view the October 2008 Newsletter Online. The online version is in full color and easy to download. Just double-click the newsletter you wish to read. The latest newsletter is on top.

Also, we have a new mailing service for our hard copy newsletter sent in the snail mail. If you do not get your copy in the mail soon, and would like to, just email me and let me know. My email is scott@turpentinecreek.org.

 

2009 Calendar Sales Start today!

The Turpentine Creek 2009 calendars have arrived! Once again Creative Printing in Hollister Missouri has given us a great price. The 2009 Calendars will once again be available at the low price of just $10.00. Since we only order a few it sure is nice to give them to you for such a low price. Last year we sold almost all the calendars we printed and hope to do the same this year. With the mushy economy tightening our wallets/purses, the 2009 Turpentine Creek Calendar sure makes for a great, inexpensive gift which helps the animals too!

There are many ways to order our 2009 Calendars:

Click the big green button below.

You can also visit our website and click on the "Online Store" button or you can email Pat at tigers@turpentinecreek.org You could even call our main number at 479-253-5841.

 

Needed: Attorney to Donate Time

Tanya Smith, TCWR President/ Founder, would like to make a plea for a unique kind of help:

Calling all Attorneys that support Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge:
If you are an Arkansas attorney, we need you. We are looking for an attorney to help with a few legal issues that arise from time to time. We would appreciate any pro bono advice on these matters. If you are interested in helping Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge with your services please contact Tanya Smith, President/ Founder at tanya@turpetinecreek.org as soon as possible.

Turpentine Creek Update

Babies, babies, babies....

http://turpentinecreek.typepad.com/BabySpyke.swf

Click the link above to view more photos of baby Spyke.

   

It has been exciting around the refuge lately. May 31, two baby tiger were born to a mother tiger (Tigger G) we rescued out of Missouri. Then on August 15 the new leopard (Santania) from New York had a baby black leopard . They are all growing and seem healthy. It is strange to go so long not having any babies to raise then suddenly out of two separate rescues having to go back to bottle feeding and caring for infants. The tiger cubs are now about 30 pounds. They are hansom boys but they are definitely a handful. They seem to have the attitude of their mother and are going to be as big as their daddy (Ziggy). Ziggy is about 700 pounds. We are very thankful for everyone that has donated to help us raise these unexpected miracles. The tiger cubs are named BB King and Mack.  Their diet consist of a couple pounds of ground turkey a day and Esbilac. They are consuming about 2 cases a week. They can suck down a baby bottle full of the milk replacer in about 30 seconds.

Then they are looking for more. The staff is working to train the cubs to offer their paws for trimming the claws and their tails for blood draws. This will make future trips to the veterinarian easier on the tigers and on our staff. They are doing great so far. They are also getting a little leash training. Hopefully this will make it easier for us to care for them for the next 20 years. As they grow, we will stop the leash training for safety purposes.

  The leopard cub was named by some wonderful people out of Houston, TX. His name is Spyke. It is a fitting name because his claws are little spikes. He is growing and is now close to 3 pounds. He is starting to look more like a cat than like an alien baby. He just cut his teeth and he knows how to use them. Babies are a lot of work. I almost forgot how much time and money it takes to care for babies, it has been 8 years or so since our last baby.

That is good news on the diligence of our staff to make sure that no breeding happens here due to the numbers of rescue calls we receive. If we did allow breeding of our animals then it would take all of our resources to care for the babies and no rescues would be possible. So take the opportunity to come to the refuge this Fall and see these beautiful babies for yourself because they will not be little for long. Who knows when there will be babies at the refuge in the future. Make your reservations in one of our accommodations and try to stay as long as possible. You will have a totally different experience when you spend the night. Or if you stay a few days. We look forward to your visit.  

    

 

 

 

 

Destruction at Turpentine Creek.

  Major destruction has been taking place at the refuge and we are so happy. After so many years of dirt, mud, rocks and gravel,  TCWR has finally built sidewalks throughout the main compound of the refuge. This should make it easier for everyone to get around. Especially wheelchairs and strollers. We have always wanted to be able to provide sidewalks but rescuing cats is the priority. It will always be the priority but due to the fact that we are open

to the public safety is also a priority. They are done and look fantastic. TCWR bid out the building of the sidewalks to contractors but everyone was so high on the labor cost that once again we turned to our dedicated staff to make sure the job got done. Though  the changing of the 12 interns we had a few extra hands and took that opportunity to take on this huge job. Now we are working on replacing our safety fence around the cages. Our people rail is now 48 inches tall. This is a big relief off of our staff because watching some of the visitors will give you a heart attack. With the old people rail I have seen people lean over as far as possible to take pictures or try and pet one of the cats. Scary, these cats, as wonderful as they are, would love to have a finger, hand or anything else put into the cage. They are predators and they feel no remorse if you put your hand in there cage and get it bit off. So far we have been fortunate.

  Now we are more prepared for the people that do not consider the consequence of what could happen if they get too close. We are also tearing down some of the older cages that were in need of repair. This will open up the area closest to the gift shop so it is not so crowded when you are trying to get in or out of the refuge. It is our goal to tear the majority of these old structures down and replace them with beautiful large enclosures to give the animals more room and a better life. We cannot do any of these things without your support. Thanks for your help in every way possible. Click Here to make a donation today.