Tessa Stripes is our newest animal keeper here at Carolina Tiger Rescue. She studied wildlife biology at Virginia Tech. Before coming to Carolina Tiger Rescue, she interned at Wildlife Safari. Her favorite animals to work with are tigers! She enjoys giving the animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue a safe and appropriate home for them. It’s a hard and dirty job, but she loves it! Her favorite time of year at the rescue is the fall, when all the animals get pumpkins for enrichment!

Keeper Tessa’s Blog 01/16/2024

I hope you have had a great start to your 2024! As we’ve entered this new year, I’ve been reflecting on some of my favorite parts of 2023. We welcomed seven new animals into the sanctuary last year, and we’re so happy to be their forever home.

Saber Tiger

In the summer, we took in four servals: Saka, Kito, King, and Simba. All of these boys started their lives off as failed pets before finding their way to a sanctuary. They’re adjusting really well to life at Carolina Tiger Rescue. They’re still a little shy, so tours can’t stop to see them, but when it’s just the keepers around, they love to play with enrichment.

In the fall, we rescued a new species: Asian Leopard Cats! We took in three girls named Pepper, Clove and Ginger. Their owner was breeding them to sell as pets. We’re glad they made their way to us where we can treat them like the wild animals that they are. These girls took a while to settle it, but they are definitely getting comfortable. They may only be six pounds, but they make up for their small size with their big personalities.

Last year was also a great year for guests visiting the sanctuary. We had lots of tours and very fun camp days! I am excited to see what we’ll get up to this year!