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 11/22/19
Sometimes we are called to rescue an animal with plenty of time to get ready for their arrival. Other times, that is not the case, so we always want to be prepared.
Any animal that comes to Carolina Tiger Rescue spends at least their first 30 days in quarantine. We want to make sure this space is ready to house an animal on short notice. The purpose of quarantine is to get to know the new animal and isolate them so that any possible illnesses will not spread in the sanctuary. To help keep germs from spreading to or from the new animal, we deep clean the area before and after any animal lives in it. We now have our new outdoor space at quarantine which needs to be cleaned as well.
Once we have cleaned quarantine, we will add a few necessities and comforts. This includes straw for padding and warmth, climbing structures or platforms, and den boxes for small cats. We will add plenty of enrichment, like boomer balls, boxes, or maybe a pool. Here, one of our keepers is preparing a pile of cardboard tubes for enrichment. Around fall and winter, we may add seasonal enrichment like pumpkins or Christmas trees, anything to keep the new residents entertained and active during their time in quarantine.
Once a new resident is given a physical, finishes their 30 days in quarantine, and receives a clean bill of health from our veterinarian, they can be moved into their new spacious outdoor enclosure. While quarantine can not give the animal all the features of their future enclosure, like trees or grass, we want it to be the best and most comfortable place possible. It is their first glimpse of their new life in their forever home and we want them to know that they are in good hands.
