11 Tigers
Tigers Awaiting Rescue in Thailand
Eleven Tigers in Thailand Are Being Rescued
In Historic Collaboration by Typical Tigers NFTs and Big Cat Rescue!
First Tiger Rescue Mission Funded In Part By Cryptocurrencies and NFTs!
On December 23, 2021 Big Cat Rescuers woke to receive the following email:
Re: URGENT tiger rescue in Thailand
Dear Carole and Howard,
It's Edwin Wiek here, founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. We have an urgent situation - 11 tigers from a tiger petting zoo that is shutting down need to be rescued and rehomed to our sanctuary ASAP. It will be the biggest tiger rescue ever in Thailand. However, due to COVID-19 and resulting lack of visitors and tourists, our funds are very low. Is there anything that Big Cat Rescue can do to help us get these 11 tigers out and to our large sanctuary?
The tigers are living in miserable conditions. One is reported to be dangerously skinny with concern that she survives until the rescue. It is unclear what level of care they will receive until rescued. - Edwin Wiek
Wildlife Friends Foundation is highly respected by people we know and trust in the international animal welfare community. They have partially completed buildings and enclosures that were intended for a circus rescue from outside Thailand last year. COVID made that rescue impossible and the drop in sanctuary revenue from COVID stopped the construction.
On Dec. 27, 2021 Big Cat Rescue sent out an appeal to our supporters and was able to immediately wire $10,000 to Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand with the promise of raising more. WFFT needed funds to quickly complete the enclosures and then cover the cost of multiple trips to transport the animals from the zoo nine hours away, including full medical checkups before loading the animals.
That same day Carole Baskin appealed to the NFT and Cryptocurrency communities on Twitter Spaces after being invited to speak by Teddy who is one of the founders of Typical Tigers. As soon as the Typical Tigers Community heard about the plight of the 11 tigers in Thailand they voted on supporting the mission with a $10,000 donation of Ethereum from the sale of their Typical Tigers NFTs. There are 3,900 generative art pieces in their first collection with each one being unique, just like each tiger's stripes are as uniquely different as a fingerprint. They specifically chose 3,900 as a way of recognizing the fact that there are only 3,900 tigers estimated to be surviving in the wild.
On January 4, 2022 Typical Tigers and Big Cat Rescue co-hosted a 3 hour long Twitter Space to have Edwin Wiek, founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, educate fans about the plight of tigers in the wild, and to explain how he was able to negotiate a plan with the Phuket Zoo, which had to close two years ago due to COVID-19, to move all of the remaining tigers and bears to his 250 acre sanctuary. You can listen to the conversation here:
Edwin reports that he's been visiting the tigers and bears at the Phuket Zoo and providing food. The plans are to go back to the zoo on Sunday (1/9/2022) and return Monday or Tuesday with the first four tigers and one of the bears. His plans are to take those that are in most serious need of medical help first and to do the rescue over several trips so his vet can attend to each individually during the rescue and rehoming at the sanctuary. As soon as the first 4 tigers arrive at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, Big Cat Rescue plans to release another $10,000 gift to WFFT thanks to the donors who responded to our End of Year appeal at the donation button link.
Teddy from Typical Tigers said, "When we heard Carole talk about the 11 Tigers that were in urgent need of rescue at the Phuket Zoo in Thailand we wanted to jump in and help right away. Our entire goal of our project is to help save Tigers through the sales of NFTs and we couldn’t think of a better way to help than support this cause. We are proud to make history and participate in the first Tiger rescue funded by NFTs and the largest tiger rescue in the history of Thailand!" Teddy went on to say throughout the Twitter Spaces event that this is just the beginning. Plans are in the works for the Typical Tigers community to adopt a tiger or tigers and provide a commitment to lifetime care as well.
Carole Baskin reported, "I think this historic moment will be the genesis of how big cat rescues are funded. Once sanctuaries and non profits see that NFT sales and crypto can result in real money to fund their missions, I think more of them will invest the time into creating ways to accept payment." Big Cat Rescue has accepted Bitcoin since 2014 and is currently working as the 501(c)3 non profit to accept crypto and convert it to US Dollars for WFFT. Edwin Wiek's reaction to the generosity of the crypto community was to say that he will be looking into setting up a method to accept this new form of donation. It's a win-win for the animals, the non profits who protect them and those who want to make a difference.
