| Date opened | 1981 (Official) [1] |
|---|---|
| Location | Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA |
| Land area | 55 acres |
| Website | www.carolinatigerrescue.org |
Originally known as the Carnivore Preservation Trust,[2] the Carolina Tiger Rescue or CPT, is an animal sanctuary in Pittsboro, North Carolina. It is home to Binturongs, Caracals, Kinkajous, Ocelots, Servals, and Tigers.
The CPT was incorporated in 1981 by Dr. Michael Bleyman, a geneticist at UNC, as a breeding facility for carnivores that were vanishing keystone species — species critical to the survival of their ecosystem. CPT's intent was to keep a viable population of these animals in trust until their home habitats were sufficiently protected to support them again.
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As the environmental community began to appreciate the plight of these lesser known carnivores, they began to create species survival plans- organized plans for the species survival, including a national genetic registry to monitor numbers and breeding. CPT continues to send animals to other locations to take part in these programs. People began approaching CPT with large cats that needed homes- animals discarded from the entertainment industry or exotic pet trade, or by law enforcement officials in North Carolina who find tigers and other exotic pets in private hands and CPT opened its doors to rescues.
Today, CPT is a 55-acre (220,000 m2) wildlife sanctuary, providing homes to carnivores in need of rescue and educating the public about what threatens these animals: in the wild, in the pet trade, and in the entertainment industry and that these animals do not make good pets.
Some of the animals were born there during the CPT's days as a breeding facility. Others were rescued from backyard enclosures at private homes. CPT tour guides often quote scientists: "There are probably more tigers alive in private hands in the state of Texas than in the wild worldwide." [3]
Tours are offered to visitors on weekends and a twilight tour is offered seasonally to give visitors more opportunity to see nocturnal animals.
Sherry Blanchette, owner of a wildlife sanctuary went under cover with the BBC posing as a veterinarian toured the CPT in 2000, and later wrote a report to the USDA and County officials that the facility was unsafe because of vegetation on cages, rusting feed bins, inadequate rusting, fencing. CPT officials refuted those claims.[4] In 1998, a volunteer was mauled by a couger while cleaning cages.[5] Sherry Blanchette was called as an expert witness on cougar behavior in the trail of Mark Kostich the volunteer mauled by a CPT cougar.[6]
Due to the under cover work by Blanchette and her official report, CPT now uses a 4 level enclosure labeling system. Enclosures housing extremely dangerous predators (level 4) like tigers and leopards are never entered, except in the rare occasions when the animal has been tranquilized for a veterinary procedure. Employees may briefly enter lower level numbered enclosures housing animals like binturong and caracal for cleaning and maintenance but are careful not to interact with these wild animals. All employees and volunteers are trained before they can enter any enclosure.
The North Carolina legislature is considering a bill which would make it illegal for individuals to own many of the animals housed at the Carolina Tiger Rescue.[7]
The CPT is funded by corporate sponsors, revenue from tours and gift shop sales as well as private donations including cash and in-kind donations. Fruit is donated by local grocers and chicken is obtained from area chicken processing plants at a significant discount. Some funding comes from employees donations through workplace giving campaigns via Earth Share of North Carolina.