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 5/29/20
Join us in welcoming our newest resident, Daisy Coatimundi! Daisy, a South American Coatimundi, arrived last week after her private owner, who never intended to keep her as a pet, turned her over to us. Coatimundis are common in the pet trade because they are generally laid back, which leads people to think they will make good pets. However, coatis are wild animals and should be able to live their lives in the wild. Most of their day in the wild is spent foraging for food which keeps their minds and bodies active. In a private home, they are often not given this opportunity. They often suffer in homes and develop OCD behaviors.
Daisy is settling into sanctuary life well and is already loving all of the enrichment she receives from the keepers. She has enjoyed foraging for bugs, fruit, vegetables, and meat hidden in boxes. Daisy will spend about one month in quarantine to make sure she is healthy. In this time, she will have a physical and the keepers will get to know her personality and behavior before she moves into an outdoor enclosure. Welcome home, Daisy!