When Tasha first came to Carolina Tiger Rescue, she was very anxious. She was given an enclosure at the back of the sanctuary that allowed her to adjust to her new surroundings in a quiet place. Tasha became very affectionate toward the keepers and would eagerly approach the fence to “chuffle” and rub her face against it. Tasha learned, at her own pace, to trust volunteers and small numbers of visitors. Eventually, Tasha was given a chance to go on tour and did so well that she is now an on tour tiger! Animal care staff works with Tasha through a training program called operant conditioning to help her progress. This type of training will continue to help her feel more confident and relaxed over time. Tasha enjoys her training sessions and is a very quick learner.
Born October 23, 2008
How Tasha Came to the Sanctuary
In 2014, Carolina Tiger Rescue was one of four rescue organizations that coordinated a joint rescue effort and helped give homes to the over fifteen lions, tigers, bears, and wolves housed in a private home in Alabama. Carolina Tiger Rescue took in Madonna and Tears Tiger in August. Unfortunately, three animals had to be left behind - two tigers and a grizzly bear. The previous owner was reluctant to relinquish the last of her animals and, while we tried desperately to place them, no reputable facility in the United States had any room. We began to build additional enclosures in the hopes that we might be able to provide them a home once they were complete. About a month later, we received urgent news from the rescue organization that had taken in the wolves - they had returned to rescue the grizzly bear and found that conditions at the facility had become dire. They offered to transport the last of the animals, two female tigers, to their facility but had no room to keep them. There was nowhere for them to go. Only two days after hearing this devastating news, Carolina Tiger Rescue staff arrived to pick up the two tigers, named Tasha and Leah. A day later, staff returned home and unloaded the new tigers into Karen's Keep quarantine and rushed to finish their new enclosures. Tasha is now in her permanent home here at Carolina Tiger Rescue. Though at first she was a bit nervous of her new surroundings, she has settled in and is doing fantastic.
Tasha is a shy tiger who startles quickly with anything new. She continues to work with a keeper on operant training, which allows her predictability and structure in her life. Tasha is a very social tiger when she gets to know someone, often approaching the fence with plenty of chuffles.
Tasha is a gorgeous tiger with a long, slender body. She has a brilliant orange coat and semi-circle black stripes coming from the middle of her forehead down to her eyes. She also has very small stripes (eyebrows) above her eyes.
Tasha lives on tour in Pine Forest next to Shira and Saber Tiger.
Roadside Zoos
Tasha was rescued along with three other tigers from a roadside zoo in Alabama. "Roadside zoos are collections of animals in cages to profit from motorists who stop to see the animals. They are not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). A roadside zoo can be 20 animals in adjacent pens or a single tiger in a cage. What these facilities have in common are barren cages, inadequate food, water, shelter and veterinary care. The animals are often crowded into conflict-prone groupings.” – Tigers in America. The roadside zoo that Tasha came from was shut down due to many violations but the woman who owned it was allowed to keep her animals. It was not until her health started to decline years later and her family had power of attorney that we were asked to come rescue them. It is always important to research a place before you visit it. Ask questions and find out why they exist and what their goals are.
Panthera tigris
