Roscoe is a handsome tiger and one you would expect to see stalking through the forests of Southwest Asia. He has a deep orange coat with bright black stripes. This dapper fellow is very anxious and requires a very quiet enclosure away from the tour path. Roscoe loves the attention from the keepers, staff members, and a few volunteers, but this introvert enjoys a more quiet life than some of our other residents. Roscoe often looks to his enclosure-mate, Camilla, for reassurance when he gets a bit nervous. When he is feeling his best, Roscoe loves rolling in his mud pit and chasing the vultures away.
How Roscoe Came to the Sanctuary
Roscoe arrived at Carolina Tiger Rescue with Camilla Tiger, Roman and Reina Lion, and Nakobi and Jericho Cougar on June 26, 2012. He originally came from a private breeder in Michigan and was the last cub in the litter. The owner intended to get rid of him, but the Ohio sanctuary Rescue One stepped in and gave him a home. However, Rescue One was later forced to close its doors due to financial hardship and an inability to meet new legal regulations. Ohio toughened their laws regarding exotic pet ownership following a 2011 incident in Zanesville, Ohio. A private owner had released 56 of his lions, tigers, cougars, wolves, leopards, and bears before committing suicide. Unfortunately, law enforcement was forced to lethally dispatch the 49 animals that had escaped due to concerns for public safety. The following year, Ohio banned private ownership of dangerous wild animals and increased safety regulations for facilities like Rescue One. Rescue One could not keep up with the new legislation and decided to close its doors and find homes for all of its animals. Carolina Tiger Rescue took in six of their animals: two tigers, two lions, and two cougars.
Roscoe is a shy tiger who does not like large groups of people, so you will not see him on tour. Because he gets nervous easily, animal care staff works with Roscoe through a training program called operant conditioning. This type of training helps him feel more confident and relaxed and has made quite a difference since his arrival. Roscoe also loves sitting in his pool and hunting for meat hidden around his enclosure.
Roscoe is an extremely handsome tiger who has very stunning black stripes. He has a very smooth coat and a spot on his nose that he enjoys rubbing on his fence so often that the hair has worn off.
Roscoe is located in Pine Forest. He is off tour because he gets very nervous around new and large groups of people. He is just down the path from Mila and Riley Tiger.
Legislation in the United States
The United States currently does not have any legislation on the ownership of big cats and other exotic animals. It is left up to the states to pass legislation. Currently, thirty states ban the private ownership of big cats, fourteen require a permit, and five do not have any legislation against the ownership of big cats. Roscoe and Camilla came to Carolina Tiger Rescue as a direct result of the changing of legislation in Ohio. Rescue One, their former home, was forced to close after Ohio became the center of national attention when a resident in Zanesville, Ohio with 55 exotic animals let them all out of their enclosures in October of 2011. The result at the end of the day was 49 dead animals of seven different species, including eighteen tigers and seventeen lions. After this incident, Ohio decided they needed statewide legislation to ensure that this could not happen again. As a result, Rescue One, who was also running into financial trouble, could not keep up with the changing laws and was forced to close. With no nationwide and, in some cases, no statewide legislation, there is no definitive answer as to how many tigers live in the United States. The estimate is somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers living in the United States with most of these living in people's backyards or in roadside zoos. Without proper legislation, incidents like the one in Zanesville, Ohio will continue to happen.
Panthera tigris
