August Newsletter

The animals of IEAS have been very fortunate due to the generosity of two local food markets. Both Dunn's Produce and IGA Food Market donate fruits and vegetables daily for the bears. They also donate pumpkins in the fall which are used as enrichment items that the cats love! We are currently in need of a pick-up truck in order to be able to pick all of these donations up. We are not able to get the large loads of pumpkins in the vehicle that we are using now. We also sometimes have to make two trips on days when many boxes of produce are donated. A pick-up truck would allow us to easily pick these donations up in one trip. This would help us save on time and gas, which in turn would save more money for the animals of the Sanctuary.

If anyone is looking to get rid of an old pick-up truck and you are interested in donating it to IEAS, please contact us at 940-433-5091 or email us at richard@bigcat.org. We ask that it be an automatic vehicle. Your generous donation would be greatly appreciated by all of the animals of IEAS!

A Special Thank You!

We would like to thank Northern Tools + Equipment for their generous donation of a Semi-Trash Water Pump. As you know, many of the IEAS residents, such as the tigers, bears and jaguar naturally enjoy swimming in water, especially during the hot summer months. Due to the outdoor environment, the pools are easily dirtied by leaves from trees and dirt that is carried in by the animals. We end up have to change the water in the pools quite frequently in order to keep them clean and keep the animals happy and healthy. Many of the pools have a built in drainage system, but some of them require the use of this external pump in order to be cleaned. The pump that we had was over six years old and had been extensively used.

We have used our new pump several times now and it works wonderfully. The cats and bears of IEAS thank everyone at Northern Tools + Equipment! Your generous support is greatly appreciated!

AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

Barbara

Female Serval
Born August 1, 2004
Rescued: August 2008

Barbara will be five years old this month! Barbara is one of the newer residents of the Sanctuary, arriving just last year. Barbara, along with Billy, a male caracal, was found abandoned on the doorstep of a wildlife rehabilitation center in New Mexico. Staff members of the center contacted IEAS to see if we would be able to take the animals. Since their arrival, both Billy and Barbara have become very comfortable and happy in their new home. On your tour, you may find Barbara lying on her highest perch, observing you from above.

Taj

Male Siberian Tiger
Born August 1, 1992
Rescued: November 1, 1992

Taj will be 17 years old this month! I don't think there are too many tigers here at IEAS who "chuff" more than Taj does. He always greet his visitors with a chuff, which is like us saying hello! Listen carefully on your tour, and he will probably chuff at you too!

Akbar, Arusha and Kumar

Bengal Tigers
Born August 14, 2004
Rescued: September 15, 2004

Akbar, Arusha and Kumar will be five years old on August 14th! During this time of the year, Akbar, Arusha and Kumar love swimming, playing or just relaxing in their pool. Every afternoon when you walk by them, you will probably see at least one if not all of them in there. This means their pool needs to get cleaned more often than it would in the winter time. One of their favorite things to do is to lie in the pool after it has been cleaned and is filling up with water. See if you can catch some of the fun while you are on your tour at IEAS!

Zeus

Male Bobcat
Born August 19, 1989
Rescued: January 1, 1992

Zeus will be 20 years old this month! Zeus spends most of his days lying in his cool house to keep out of the heat. He always knows when it's time for his evening medications though. Most of the time, he will be sitting by the door, waiting for you as you pull up to feed him.

Sabrina

Female Bengal Tiger
Born August 20, 1994
Arrived: January 1, 1995

Sabrina will be 15 years old this month. One thing Sabrina loves is to play with her toys. She has two giant pickles, lots of boomer balls, a couple of tires, and a bowling ball. She likes to play with all of them in her pool. So whenever we have to clean her pool, keepers and interns spend a good amount of time just trying to get all of the toys out first. Then when we are done, we watch Sabrina round them all up into the pool once again!

Baby

Female Bobcat
Born August 23, 1994
Rescued: January 1, 1995

Baby will be 15 years old this month. Baby lives with her friend Cookie, another female bobcat. Baby like to spend the hot summer days in her nice, cool cave. But she likes to come out to explore and play in the evenings. One of her favorite toys is her hanging buoy. Check out a video of Baby playing here.