Camilla is a gorgeous and charismatic tiger who loves attention.  She can often be seen lying gracefully in the sun or running up to the fence to “chuffle” at visitors.  Camilla lives with Roscoe and the two of them can be found playing together in the early mornings.  They stalk and chase each other before pouncing on one another like a pair of rambunctious cubs.  Camilla also enjoys tasty “bloodsicles” (frozen blood popsicles) in the summer and tearing up boxes she is given for enrichment.

Born June 26, 2009
Rescued June 26, 2012

How Camilla Came to the Sanctuary

Camilla, previously called China, arrived at Carolina Tiger Rescue with Roscoe Tiger, Nakobi and Jericho Cougar, and Roman and Reina Lion on June 26, 2012. She originally came from a small zoo in New York that closed down and was then taken in by Rescue One, an Ohio sanctuary. However, Rescue One was later forced to close its doors due to financial hardship and their inability to meet new legal regulations. Ohio had toughened their laws regarding exotic pet ownership following an incident in Zanesville, Ohio in 2011. A private owner released 56 of his lions, tigers, cougars, wolves, leopards, and bears before committing suicide. Unfortunately, law enforcement was forced to shoot the animals due to concerns for public safety. The following year, Ohio banned private ownership of dangerous wild animals.

Personality

Camilla is a gorgeous and charismatic tiger who loves attention. She can often be seen lying gracefully in the sun and running up to the fence to "chuffle" at visitors. She loves people! Camilla lives with Roscoe Tiger and the two of them can often be found playing together in the early mornings. They stalk and chase each other before batting at one another like a pair of playful cubs. Camilla also enjoys tasty enrichment like "bloodsicles" (frozen blood popsicles) in the summer or chasing various decoys around her enclosure.

Description

Camilla is known by staff and volunteers as a gorgeous tiger who enjoys having fun.  She loves to chase vultures and likes to play with Roscoe.  Camilla has a very long face and lots of black dots down the middle of her pink nose.

Where in Sanctuary

Camilla is located in Pine Forest with her enclosure-mate Roscoe.  They are off tour because Roscoe gets very nervous around new and large groups of people.  They are just down the path from Mila and Riley Tiger.

Legislation 

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, 32 states ban the private ownership of big cats, 12 require a permit, and 6 do not have any legislation at all about the ownership of big cats.

Roscoe and Camilla came to Carolina Tiger Rescue as a direct result of the changing legislation in Ohio.  Rescue One, their former home, was forced to close after Ohio became the center of national attention when a resident of Zanesville, Ohio let 56 exotic animals loose in October of 2011. That day ended with 49 dead animals of seven different species, including 18 tigers and 17 lions.  After this incident, Ohio decided they needed statewide legislation to ensure that this could not happen again.  As a result, Rescue One, an organization running into financial trouble at the time, 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 that somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers live 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 occur.

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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Get involved at Carolina Tiger Rescue

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Individual Volunteering

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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.