Hoover Tiger

DOB 4/23/2004

Rescued 4/23/2016

Died 10/7/19  Euthanized after squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) returned repeatedly.

THE SAD STORY OF HOOVER THE CIRCUS TIGER HAS A FAIRYTALE ENDING…

Hoover Tiger arrived at Big Cat Rescue on Saturday, April 23rd, which was his 12th Birthday!!

#HooverHome

We are very excited to let everyone know that Big Cat Rescue is the forever home for a former circus tiger named Hoover from Peru!! Hoover arrived on his 12th birthday, Saturday, April 23, 2016 to a huge party in his honor!

In April of 2015 Animal Defenders International (ADI) and Peruvian wildlife officials seized Hoover from the circus. ADI contacted Big Cat Rescue about becoming Hoover’s forever home and we quickly agreed. However, the process of importing a tiger into the U.S. turned out to be a year long process and we finally received the green light from USFWS just last week.

ADI had been on track to remove Hoover and another tiger from the Peruvian circus in a nationwide law enforcement operation in 2014, but the circus went underground. Hoover’s road to freedom finally began when, after months of searching, a member of the public tipped off ADI’s team to the location of the illegal wild animal circus. A dramatic rescue ensued.

See National Geographic’s article on Hoover:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160421-tiger-hoover-circus-rescue/

See USA Today’s article on Hoover’s rescue: http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/04/22/rescued-circus-tiger-hoover-miami-airport/83379482/

See Fox 13’s piece on the Hoover Tiger:  http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/130966764-story

See Bay News 9 article: http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2016/4/23/big_cat_rescue_welco.html

Read Tampa Tribune article about Hoover:  http://www.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/hoover-the-tiger-finds-forever-home-in-tampa-20160423/

Hoover is an 12 year old tiger who was owned by Circo Africano, a circus in northwestern Peru, where for many years he was forced to perform in circus acts and live and travel in a tiny, barren cage.

Sadly, Hoover is the sole survivor of between six and 12 tigers that were kept by Circo Africano in Peru. He arrived at ADI’s rescue center frightened, sick and emaciated. But after months of intensive veterinary care, rehabilitation and exercise, Hoover has recovered and is ready to start the next chapter of his life in America at Big Cat Rescue.

Big Cat Rescue is forever grateful that ADI rescued Hoover and will be transporting him to our sanctuary. Hoover will be flown to his new home at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa and is expected to arrive mid April.

Hoover’s days will now be spent relaxing in the sunshine, lounging up on his platforms and cooling off in Big Cat Rescue’s lake. He will reside in a huge enclosure with lots of trees, foliage and shade. He will literally be a world away from the abuse he suffered most of his life.

Can we count on you to help us fund Hoover’s ongoing care at Big Cat Rescue? It costs us about $10,000 per year for food and veterinary care for a tiger. It’s because of wonderful donors like YOU that we can continue to rescue and provide a permanent home for exotic cats like Hoover!  Thank you!

Read South Florida Reporter:  http://southfloridareporter.com/circus-tiger-rescued-peru-animal-defenders-international-arriving-mia/

See Examiner article about Hoover Tiger:  http://www.examiner.com/article/abused-tiger-retiring-to-florida-sanctuary-after-south-american-circus-rescue

Read Mother Nature Network’s article about Hoover:  http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/abused-circus-tiger-gets-happy-ending

See WOKC’s piece on Hoover:  http://www.wokc.com/?p=30038 and here:  http://www.wokc.com/?p=29959

Read Miami Airport’s announcement about Hoover the Tiger:  http://www.miami-airport.com/hoovermia.asp

See Don411’s post:  http://don411.com/former-circus-tiger-rescued-in-peru-by-animal-defenders-international-arriving-at-mia-and-being-transported-to-his-forever-home-at-big-cat-rescue/#.Vxy8e6MrI8Y

Read Wold Animal News:  http://www.worldanimalnews.com/content.php?content_ID=771

Patch in California wrote about Hoover: http://patch.com/california/westhollywood/abused-tiger-retiring-florida-sanctuary-after-south-american-circus-rescue

Read the Democratic Underground:  http://www.democraticunderground.com/110849605

Local Channel 10 did a story on Hoover:  http://www.local10.com/news/tiger-rescued-from-peru-circus-to-arrive-in-miami-on-earth-day

I Iz Cat did a blog post about Hoover’s arrival:  http://www.iizcat.com/post/3543/Lifetime-abused-circus-tiger-gets-his-fairy-tale-ending

True Viral News ran with Hoover’s story: http://trueviralnews.com/?p=74357

2015 article by ADI about Hoover’s rescue:  http://www.ad-international.org/animal_rescues/go.php?id=3927&ssi=24

Hoover flies into Miami International Airport (MIA) this evening and will arrive to a hero’s welcome! Join Big Cat Rescue in thanking everyone at MIA for welcoming Hoover with this 78-foot sign over the entrance to the airport!!

#HooverHome @IflyMIA

Miami International Airport (MIA) arranged for elementary school children in the Miami area to write letters and create drawings welcoming Hoover tiger to his new Florida home at Big Cat Rescue!  #HooverHome  @IflyMIA

More about Hoover’s rescue in Peru below.

Hoover at the ADI Rescue Center in Peru

Hoover Tiger’s New Home at Big Cat Rescue

Note to the Press.  You can download the high res version of the above video by clicking Vimeo above, right and selecting the download icon on the page.  Feel free to cut the video into your own footage of Hoover’s arrival so that you can show your audience Hoover’s new world through his own perspective.

Hoover Tiger Gets Emergency Surgery

Donate now to help feed Hoover at https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51389/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=9319

Fourth Surgery to Repair Hoover’s Penis

1/14/17  Keepers saw that Hoover’s exterior stitches had failed so Dr Justin sedated him to check out the surgery site. The inside stitches seem to be holding, so he just re-stitched the exterior skin. We have put Hoover in the concrete-floored hospital cage so we can make sure he isn’t fussing with the sutures and to keep the site clean, so that the antibiotics can do their job.

And more press on Hoover Tiger:

• http://www.naplesnews.com/news/state/376839481.xhtml
• http://www.wsvn.com/story/31802585/rescued-circus-tiger-from-peru-gets-new-life-at-sanctuary
• http://www.kens5.com/news/nation-now/rescued-circus-tiger-will-get-roaring-welcome-at-miami-airport/149552840
• http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20160423/APN/304239888
• http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/04/23/abused-circus-tiger-from-peru-gets-new-life-in-florida/

Hoover Tiger Medical Update September 6, 2019

Hoover Tiger Crossed the Rainbow Bridge Today October 7, 2019

We are beyond heartbroken to let everyone know that Dr. Justin has humanely euthanized our beloved 15-year-old tiger Hoover this morning. Hoover suffered from several bouts of cancer in the last year or so and recently had to have toes removed on his front paw due to aggressive squamous cell carcinoma. Dr. Justin sedated Hoover this morning as he had just developed a limp and to check on how his paw was doing.

His necropsy showed the tumors in his paw had returned, and more had developed in just the past few weeks. His bones looked to be cancer-ridden as well. Tissues will be sent to the labs, but there is no doubt that cancer was ravaging our precious Hoover and nothing was going to reverse that downhill spiral.

Here is Carole’s note this morning:

At the risk of sounding crazy:

Dragonflies Come for Hoover

Yesterday after working on reinstalling the Nest cam in the Windsong Memorial Hospital, I hopped on my bike to head back to the office. Just outside the hospital, I was surrounded by about a dozen HUGE dragonflies. They looked like those military helicopters and they were all in a cluster, of about a six-foot circle, around my head. I stopped to say, “Hello” to them. I basked in their company for a moment and then as reality sank in, I asked, “Who are you here for?” No reply.

I waited a while until they circled off above the Windsong Memorial Hospital. I tried to recall who was on the list to see Dr. Justin Boorstein today. Loki the Savannah Cat needed to have some mats groomed off him. I wasn’t sure if these dragonflies were old friends visiting or something more prophetic.

Hoover Tiger’s nest cam has been down and so we haven’t been able to see if his limping was better or worse since last week. The vet team decided to get Hoover up on his feet this morning to let Dr. Justin get a better look at him. Hoover had squamous cell carcinoma removed twice from one front leg (taking two of his toes) and now seemed to be limping on his good leg. The situation was bad enough that Dr. Justin wanted to get X-rays again and a better look at the surgery site.

What we found looks to be bone cancer in Hoover’s back leg, and severe arthritis throughout all of his joints. He’s on so much pain medication, we can’t put him on anymore. This is no life for this majestic tiger and the decision was made to let him go.

Now I wonder if the dragonflies who came were the dozen or so tigers who were in the circus act with Hoover when the owners took them on the run to keep them from being taken to sanctuaries. All but Hoover had died; eleven in all, before help arrived for Hoover. I feel deep sadness for his loss because he was such a great cat and so many loved him, but I think he’s back with his clan and they are all pain-free and worry-free now. Rest in peace, Hoover.

The video was the rescue team bringing Hoover into the Windsong Memorial Hospital this morning in the rain for diagnostics.

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