Male tiger

Born 2010

Rescue from the circus by ADI June 2018

Arrived at Big Cat Rescue November 25, 2019

Relocated to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge Sept. 28, 2023

Max the tiger was rescued from the circus in Guatemala. We don’t know his exact birth date but believe he was born in 2010. We first heard about the circus tigers in Guatemala in February 2018. There was a Daily Mail story telling everyone how a 55-year old man had both his arms ripped off by starving tigers. The tigers ate his arms as villagers threw rocks and beat the cats with sticks.

Guatemala passed a law banning the circus thanks largely to the efforts made by Animal Defenders International. The tigers were supposed to have been turned over to authorities. Instead, Hermanos Ponce Circus and others went on the run. But over time ADI and the government managed to find them and negotiate the release of the cats. The tigers were transferred to a temporary rescue camp run by ADI that Big Cat Rescue helped fund. Then the laborious process of obtaining export and import permits from the US and Guatemalan governments began.

In all, ADI rescued 6 lions and 15 tigers from the rogue circuses. Big Cat Rescue funded the care for 3 tigers named Kimba, Max, and Simba during this lengthy ordeal. It took 15 months and $85,000 dollars to bring the three tigers to Big Cat Rescue where they will live out their lives in dignity.

During his time at the temporary facility Max showed himself to be what we call social. He was comfortable with people present. But at the Guatemala airport, the authorities made no effort to keep people from crowding around him taking photos. People were yelling and screaming, and there was loud construction noise. Max was traumatized. When he arrived here and his transport crate door was opened to let him into his new enclosure, he did not come out for two hours. However, in the weeks after his arrival in his new peaceful setting and large enclosure he relaxed and now frequently emits a happy chuff to visitors.

Background Information

February 7, 2018, was the first time Big Cat Rescue heard about the circus tigers in Guatemala. It was a Daily Mail storytelling everyone how a 55-year old man had both his arms ripped off by starving tigers, who ate them as villagers threw rocks and beat the cats with sticks. The circus had been banned in Guatemala thanks to efforts made by Animal Defenders International. The tigers were supposed to have been turned over to authorities, but instead, Ponce Circus, and others all went on the run. On October 29, 2018, we heard that Ponce Circus tigers were still starving, and we asked ADI if they were able to find them.

By November 11, 2018, ADI was able to announce that they had gotten the last 6 tigers out of the Ponce Circus. The big cats were transferred to a temporary rescue camp that Big Cat Rescue helped to fund. Then the laborious process of obtaining export and import permits began.

In all, ADI rescued 6 lions and 15 tigers from the rogue circuses. Big Cat Rescue funded the care for 3 tigers named Kimba, Max, and Simba during this lengthy ordeal. Unfortunately, other sanctuaries had promised to do the same for the other cats, but they never followed through. The remaining cats will go and live in South Africa at the Rescue Center that ADI has built to care for them.

On November 25, 2019, three former circus tigers from Guatemala Rescued by Animal Defenders International, are on their way to Big Cat Rescue!

Arriving in Miami

Finally, the day has arrived! Watch as Max, Kimba and Simba land in Miami International Airport!

The Plane Has Landed

Watch as Max, Kimba and Simba are Taken off the Plane!

On November 25, 2019, three former circus tigers from Guatemala Rescued by Animal Defenders International, are on their way to Big Cat Rescue!

We have been waiting for this day for well over a year!

Our former circus tigers from Guatemala- Kimba, Max, and Simba- finally arrived at Miami International Airport (MIA) via Aero Union cargo plane this morning. A team of Big Cat Rescuers met them there and have loaded them into our air-conditioned transport trailer. They are on their way to the sanctuary right now!

Rescued from a life of circus suffering in Guatemala by Animal Defenders International (ADI) in June of 2018, Kimba (almost age 3), Max and Simba (both age 9) are about to start their new lives at their forever home at Big Cat Rescue! This is the largest international rescue of exotic cats for Big Cat Rescue in over 20 years.

While our tigers were at ADI’s temporary facility in Guatemala for over a year as we awaited completion of the import/export paperwork, Big Cat Rescue provided $85,000 in financial support for the cats, including the flight to Miami, thanks to YOUR generous donations!

At Big Cat Rescue, tigers Max, Simba, and Kimba will each enjoy their own spacious (approximately 4,000-sq-feet) natural enclosure with freshwater pools for cooling off and splashing, numerous shade trees, soft grass and foliage, dens, and large platforms. They will have the best medical and dental care at Big Cat Rescue’s onsite Windsong Memorial Hospital as well as proper nutrition and mentally stimulating enrichment treats several times a week. Each tiger will enjoy his own Butterball turkey for Thanksgiving and his own Christmas tree in December. They will also go on month-long vacations in our 2.5-acre Vacation Rotation space!

Can we now count on your support for the ongoing food and care for these precious boys? It costs our sanctuary $10,000 per year for food and vet care for each tiger. That’s a $400,000 commitment for these three tigers, assuming they live to age 20, which is very likely at Big Cat Rescue.

Big Cat Rescue would like to thank the Guatemalan government for its commitment to enforcing the law and eliminating the use of animals in circuses, and the Guatemalan animal welfare division (UBA), and the customs broker Eduardo Arecco CHB for his services.

Pools for Guatemala Tigers

There was much advance preparation done to get ready for these three new tigers some of which were enclosures with new pools were constructed.

November 27, 2019

December 3, 2019

I think Max and I are going to be friends.~Jamie Veronica

December 6, 2019

December 19, 2019

January 10, 2020

I’ve been searching for that Zen moment and found it with Max #maxtiger#keepswimming

January 22, 2020

Max Tiger is smiling because today was a good day!

February 6, 2020 Max tiger's first Valentine's Day enrichment!

February 12, 2020 Max tiger loves his special valentine!~Jamie Veronica

February 20, 2020

Max Tiger exploring on his first trip to Vacation Rotation!

February 22, 2020

Max Tiger LOVES the Vacation Rotation pond! So happy to see this boy enjoying his life on the other side of the circus life he lived in for so many years!