Volunteer Position: Tour Guide and Adoptive Parent

Time at Carolina Tiger Rescue: Ashley joined the Carolina Tiger Family in April 2017 and has contributed 350 hours of her time since!

Favorite Animal: “I love all of them so much, but Santana has my heart. He just captured it the minute I met him. I feel so blessed to have connected with such an awesome, carefree soul. His silly serval antics never fail to putting a smile on my face, even if I’m having the worst day. He always reminds me to stop and enjoy every moment of life.  And no matter which direction I’m coming from in the sanctuary, he is sitting at that end of his enclosure waiting for me to come give him a snack! Must be the ears?”

Favorite Memory:  “I have so many but these are the ones that stick out. Changing water dishes when I was in animal care, being so close to such amazing animals, you really connect with them. Being sprayed by Roscoe and Caprichio. Celebrating Santana’s Sweet 16! Hearing the lions during twilight tours. And officially becoming a tour guide, hopefully conveying how passionate I am about these animals and the issues they face. Thanks to my time here at CTR, I am now pursuing my bachelor’s in Fisheries and Wildlife Science online with Oregon State.”

Ashley has been a presence here at Carolina Tiger for two and a half years now. She joined the Family as an Animal Care volunteer, then found her perfect niche as a Tour Guide. She is always eager to learn, excited to share, and is a confident voice speaking out on behalf of wild cats everywhere. She always makes sure that guests not only leave here knowing about the challenges wild cats face, but also knowing about each of our individual residents and why their lives and experiences matter. She has been a wonderful addition to our Tour Guide team and I’m so proud of everything she’s accomplished here. Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t add one final note: Santana is the best! 🙂 Thank you, Ashley! – Maryssa