The heartbreaking rescue of Keisha Tiger
Keisha the tiger was born in 2000 at a pseudo-sanctuary in Sinclairville, NY
While the website proclaimed to be a sanctuary, in fact, all but one of the 11 tigers had been bred for use as pay to play props.
Keisha was rescued with Zeus and Kimba
According to volunteers, Zeus was the son of the original female, Kimba, and then was bred back to his mother to create the other 9 tigers, including Keisha. This is commonly done on purpose to create white tigers, which are the cruel result of severe inbreeding.
What we saw during the rescue was unimaginable suffering and conditions that clearly threatened everyone in the area.
The pseudo-sanctuary had a pile of citations for not allowing inspectors onto the property, but in many cases, those are considered by the bad guys to be far less incriminating than actually answering the gate and letting inspectors see what they are doing.
The NY state attorney’s office decided to send a message to all of the backyard breeders, dealers and pseudo-sanctuaries that they would no longer turn a blind eye to the danger that these facilities pose to the public and launched the biggest seizure of wild animals in New York’s history.
With the help of IFAW and several sanctuaries 11 tigers, 3 lions, 3 bears, and 2 wolves were rescued that day in May of 2014.
Keisha only has half an ear and a little bobbed tail. We think she lost them to the lions who lived in the cage next door to her in NY. All over the compound the bears and big cats shared common walls where they could easily reach through and injure or kill each other.
Big Cat Rescue had gone to NY expecting to bring home four of the tigers, but one had passed away before we got there and no one seemed to know when or how. The other tiger, who was Keisha and Zeus’ mom, was a 20-year-old tigress named Kimba. She was in such bad condition, that unfortunately, that we were not able to save her, but at least she died here in comfort, surrounded by love.
Maybe the worst thing about the entire situation in NY was that it is so typical of how big cats are treated in America. You can put an end to that by never paying to see or touch a cub.
I think, one of the most important things we can do is speak up when we see abuse. Whenever you see an article or a post, where something has physical contact with a big cat or their cub, you have the power to educate right there, in that moment.
Maybe the selfish individual who posted the image won’t be educated, but you might reach a single viewer before they become apart of the problem
Keisha will now remain at her forever home, here is loved, respected and finally safe.
Despite the first fourteen years of her life being a horrible experience that no animal should have had to endure Keisha’s spirit was never broken. She is full of life and very outgoing.
Want to volunteer, intern. donate, learn about our mission and learn how you can help cats like Keisha?
Visit BigCatRescue.org today
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