Simba Tiger

Simba Tiger
Male Tiger
Born 2010
Rescue from the circus by ADI June 2018
Arrived at Big Cat Rescue November 25, 2019

Simba is a male Bengal Tiger who will get to live out the rest of his life in peace with love and respect for the magnificent tiger he is! He will have many years to come full of sunshine, warmth, treats, reliable meals full of the nutrition he needs, and plenty of enrichment! Simba is known to be quite playful with his toys, boxes, and other fun things given to him by his caretakers. He also thoroughly enjoys his enrichment which we all know is a great thing at Big Cat Rescue!

It is not known whether there is any relation between these three tigers, but it would not surprise us as the Ponce animals are usually closely related.

Background Information

February 7, 2018, was the first time Big Cat Rescue heard about the circus tigers in Guatemala. It was a Daily Mail story telling 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!

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. You can make a secure donation for Kimba, Max and Simba on our Giving Tuesday donation page here. There is even a $25,000 dollar-for-dollar match from the SHARE Foundation.

https://bigcatrescue.salsalabs.org/givingtuesday2019/index.html

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.

Become Simba’s Sponsor

You can become a sponsor for this amazing tiger and receive a fun sponsorship kit in the mail which includes a large photo and more.

Learn more at https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/sponsor-a-cat/products/tiger-sponsorship

Guatemala Tiger Rescue Merchandise

You can help support these wonderful tigers by shopping for merchandise that sports their photos.  Here are a few of the items you can choose from. These products not only help support the cats at Big Cat Rescue but also make fabulous thoughtful gifts for loved ones during the holidays or on special occasions. Find them at https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/search?q=guatemala&type=product