Nine tiger subspecies roamed the far east fewer than 100 years ago. Due to poaching and habitat loss, the Caspian, Javan, and Bali subspecies, which were all once found in Indonesia, were wiped out. The South China tiger is also considered functionally extinct. Though a few remain in zoos, one has not been spotted in the wild in more than 25 years.
WildTrack, which uses non-evasive research to monitor wildlife, has been working with Carolina Tiger Rescue for several years to build a database of tiger footprints. They currently have prints from more than 20 animals, which are the foundation for their software called FIT (Footprint Identification Technology). By collecting prints, they have been able to extract algorithms to identify tigers. They can determine the subspecies, age, sex, and individual animal all from an image of their footprint.
State officials in Virginia found the trio in a small, manure-filled cattle trailer during a raid in August 1995. The tigers were meant to be sold. Officials sent the trio to us when we were still known as Carnivore Preservation Trust, and they lived in peace.
The first step every morning for Carolina Tiger Rescue animal keepers is to clear the sanctuary. One of our skilled keepers will drive around the sanctuary in an closed vehicle to check the health and safety statuses of the big and medium residents. Once complete, the staff will hear the “Sanctuary Safe” call over the radios. Watch Keeper Lauren clear the sanctuary!
During the two-day mission for the Colorado-based nonprofit, doctors provided 14 root canals, four gingivoplasties, and one extraction. A gingivoplasty is a procedure to reshape gums. Enclosure mates Saber, 7, and Shenandoah, 15, got root canals on each of their four canines. Sebastian, 16, got an extraction and three root canals; Tio, 16, also got three root canals.
