Shailah is by far our most interesting looking cat. Her differences are a direct result of inbreeding. The only way to obtain a white tiger is through inbreeding and that has the potential to come with a lot of birth defects. Thankfully, at this time, Shailah is doing well. She is an incredibly social cat who enjoys attention. She loves cooling off in her pool and attempting and succeeding at catching vultures!

Born September 26, 2018

Rescued May 19, 2021

How Shailah Came to the Sanctuary

Shailah is one of four big cats Carolina Tiger rescued from “Tiger King Park” in Thackerville, Oklahoma early summer of 2021. In total, 68 cats were rescued from this facility after it was shut down due to numerous Endangered Species Act violations. Due to the nature of the court case, we were unable to speak about them until now.

Personality

Shailah has the goofiest personality! She is always greeting volunteers and keepers who come to visit her. She loves to chase any vultures who dare to land in her enclosure, and is a massive fan of pawcasso enrichment. She loves to roll around and lick the non-toxic tempera paints, and lay in the sun with her tummy out when she's in need of a nap. There's not much that gets this tiger riled up. She's pretty laid back and always ready for a nap, but who can blame her for that.

Description

Shailah is a white tiger but differs in looks from our other white tiger, Saber. Shailah's stripes are a very light brown as opposed to Saber's stripes that are black. Though some say she looks like a liger (hybrid of a tiger and lion), none of the information she came with suggests that she is a liger.

Where in Sanctuary

Shailah is currently living off tour next to Mila and Riley Tiger. 

Wild Born Animals

As beautiful as white tigers are, they are not a subspecies of tigers. The white gene comes from a mutated recessive gene that both parents must have for the offspring to potentially be white. White tigers have a long history in captivity; they are all inbred and all relatives of one another. Due to the many years of inbreeding, white tigers are born cross-eyed with a plethora of other deformities, including possible deafness, scoliosis, and epilepsy. When a breeder breeds for a white tiger, whether for cub petting, entertainment, or a roadside attraction, only 1 in every 30 is "show-worthy". The question then becomes what happens to the other 29? Carolina Tiger Rescue asks that you not support, directly or indirectly, facilities or entertainment venues that breed for white tigers.

Panthera Tigris

							
							
							

About Carolina Tiger Rescue

Carolina Tiger Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit wildlife sanctuary whose mission is saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild.

Carolina Tiger Rescue

1940 Hanks Chapel Rd. Pittsboro, NC 27312 (919) 542-4684 (919) 542-4454 info@carolinatigerrescue.org

Wildlife should be in the Wild

Rescue

Education

  • We believe the ideal home for wildlife is in the wild.
  • We believe it is critical to conserve their native habitats.
  • We believe wild animals should not be kept as pets.
  • We believe captive breeding should ONLY be done in accordance with Species Survival plans.
  • We believe all wild animals, both captive and in their native habitats, deserve to be treated with respect and not exploited for entertainment and commercial purposes.

Visit Carolina Tiger Rescue

Tiger at Carolina Tiger Rescue

Public Tours

Twilight Tours

Coming out for a tour is a great way to learn more about the animals that call Carolina Tiger Recue home. We offer many different types of tours.  Public tours are great for adults and families. Twilight tours are for adults only (18 years of age and older). Tiger Tales are a perfect option if you want to bring out really young children. Find the tour that is right for you and enjoy a walk through the sanctuary.

For all tours, tickets must be purchased in advance.

Have Fun Learning at Carolina Tiger Rescue

Field Trips

Field Trips

Virtual Field Trips link

Virtual Field Trips

Education is key to our mission.  We enjoy teaching "kids" of all ages!  Our field trips, both virtual and onsite, are ideal for groups of kids.  Our "Kid for a Day" Adult Camp provides a unique learning opportunity while allowing adults to channel their inner child.  While all of these opportunities are structured differently, in the end we want everyone to walk away knowing more about the animals we care for and what they can do to help protect them.

Bobcat at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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BOBCATS
Caracal at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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CARACALS
Coatimundi at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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COATIMUNDIS
Cougar at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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COUGARS
Kinkajou at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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KINKAJOUS
Lion at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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LIONS
NGSD at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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NGSD
Porcupine at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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Porcupines
Raccoon at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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Raccoons
Red Wolf at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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Red Wolves
Serval at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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SERVALS
Tiger at Carolina Tiger Rescue
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TIGERS
Animals
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Activities
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Get involved at Carolina Tiger Rescue

Individual volunteering at Carolina Tiger Rescue

Individual Volunteering

Group volunteering at Carolina Tiger Rescue

Group Volunteering

There are so many ways to be a part of Carolina  Tiger Rescue.  Individual volunteers are able to help in many aspects of our work, including animal care, tour guides, construction, and gift shop assistance.  Work groups come from community groups, colleges, work places, and more!  It’s a great way to spend a day and it helps care for the cats.