Nelly is one of two caracals that currently reside at Carolina Tiger Rescue. She was rescued in the fall of 2022 from private owners along with her enclosure mate Pharaoh Serval. They are the only animals that live with a different species at CTR! Nelly has a spicy attitude when it comes to food and is a great reminder why these guys would make terrible pets. Nelly shows that you can’t love the wild out of an animal even if you tried!
Born March 12, 2021
Rescued November 14, 2022
How Nelly Came to the Sanctuary
Nelly was rescued along with her enclosure mate, Pharaoh Serval, from private owners in Tennessee. The owners had to find the wild cats a new home when their life situation changed.
Personality
Like with most rescues, it has taken some time for Nelly to get used to her new home. She enjoys spending time with her enclosure mate Pharaoh and on cold nights they have been found sharing the same heated den box. She, of course, has the feisty caracal attitude they are known for.
Description
Nelly's coat is lighter than Kitwana's, our other caracal living at Carolina Tiger Rescue. Nelly has long tufts of hair at the tips of her ears and her tufts have a nice arch to them.
Where in Sanctuary
Nelly lives on Mimosa Point with Pharaoh Serval, across the safety cage from Blondie Serval. She lives off tour at this time, so she can adjust to her new surroundings.
Private Ownership
While there is no doubt that Nelly and Pharaoh's owners loved them, they are a prime example of how even those with the best of intentions should not own wild animals. When life circumstances changed, their owners could no longer keep them, because it was not legal where they were moving to. We are thankful to their owners for contacting Carolina Tiger Rescue so these cats could live out the rest of their lives as the wild cats they are. We also continue to educate and work toward a day when these predators are no longer viewed as pets.
Caracal caracal
