TOUR for the TROOPS!

Remember the care packages that IEAS is putting together?! Well, it's almost time to send them and we still need more STUFF. Since our "Water Weekend" was so successful, we are going to do something similar this coming weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday - July 1, 2, 3, and 4) and let you take a TOUR for the TROOPS! If you bring items from the following list from each member of your party, everyone's tour is HALF PRICE! That means instead of $20 for adults and $10 for kids, your tour will be $10 for adults and $5 for kids!

ITEMS WE STILL NEED:

Crossword puzzles, word searches, sudoku puzzles, bags of non-melting (no chocolate) candy (apparently they really CRAVE good candy and junk food sometimes!), magazines (TIME, Men's Health, People, etc.), recent newspapers, battery operated misting fans, chips/Pringles, and protein bars!

So, head out to the store, then to IEAS! Remember, your donation to the troops will only cut your tour cost ONCE - two items won't mean you get a free tour, but it WILL mean you care THAT much more about our troops! With the 4th of the July right around the corner, now is the time to be generous! Maybe use the WHOLE extra $10 you will save on your tour on the TROOPS! You know they will appreciate it and the IEAS residents will appreciate your visit!

Remember, in visiting the Sanctuary and bringing these items, you are helping an amazing cause help another amazing cause!

Mister Pictures!

Here are some pictures and a clip of the misters in action!

Princess hops up into her mist and cools off!

You can barely see Kuru behind his mist!

Samson's habitat with mist!

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED!

KURU enjoying his mist!

The Mister System has ARRIVED!

Well, the mister system that YOU all purchased for the cats of IEAS has arrived and been all set up! Samson is already laying right in front of his and the those who haven't seen them before, like the two tigers who arrived from Houston in March, have investigated and made their decisions about the cool mist! They have both plopped right down on the perch in front of the mister!

So many of these amazing animals are cooler

and more comfortable because of YOUR generosity.

PICTURES COMING SOON!

Thank you to everyone who

donated for making it possible!

Want to be a Sanctuary Volunteer!?

The International Exotic Animal Sanctuary has so many dedicated volunteers that come out, visit the animals, and are a HUGE help to the staff and residents of IEAS! Often times, these volunteers come and go, and we love to get updates on their lives and travels. One such volunteer recently had the chance to volunteer at a wildlife reserve in Ecuador and sent us news of her exciting new adventure:

"After two weeks of laboring under the canopy of the Amazon rainforest, building enclosures, carrying incredible red wood trees through the forest, and enjoying the company of beautiful animals, I sit here in an internet cafe in Quito, and enjoy the lovely smell of clean laundry and the millions of people that trek by my window. How's that for ya? Ecuador is amazing!! I have so many pictures and now I'm waiting to head off to Otavalo which is the largest market in South America! Hope everyone is well! :)"

Many of our volunteers do awesome things after they help out at the Sanctuary, just like Ecuador and even places such as Alaska!

Do YOU want to be a Sanctuary volunteer?!

Visit our VOLUNTEER PAGE for everything you need to know!

We hope to see you soon!

Cell Phones and Mountain Gorillas!?

What do a cell phone and a Mountain Gorilla have in common?

This might shock you!

Cell phone batteries are made from an rare metal called Columbite-tatalum (Coltan), which is mined primarily in Africa's Republic of Congo. This area is currently home to 52 threatened or endangered species of animals. One of these species, the Eastern mountain gorilla, numbering only 250 individuals as of December 2002, is being slaughtered by the Coltan miners for "bushmeat" during their mining. The region is being cleared and mined pushing the remaining gorillas out of their environment.

A cell phone battery contains 2 oz. of Coltan which can be recovered and re-used. An estimated 200 million cell phones were thrown away in the U.S. in 2003. This means that 400 million ounces of Coltan was wasted and is still wasted annually. The current price for Coltan is $1,000 per kilogram. This converts to the wasted Coltan to 11,339,809 kilograms costing over 110 BILLION DOLLARS. All of this money is being thrown away by the U.S. population alone.

JOIN US in our effort to conserve wildlife, protect our environment, reduce the need for mining additional Coltan by recycling your old cell phones! Send them to IEAS at P.O. Box 637, Boyd, TX 76023 and we will take care of them for you!

Almost Halfway There!

We are almost halfway to our goal of raising $2,500 towards a new mister system to supply cool mist to the second half the Sanctuary! We have had so many generous donations, and we can't wait to see if they keep on coming! Just remember, every little bit counts - there is truly no donation too small! Each and every penny gets the cats one step closer to having that cool mist to keep them comfortable in the summer heat!

Thanks SO much to everyone who has already sent in a donation!

Remember, you can call 940-433-5091, send your check to PO Box 637, Boyd, TX 76023, or click HERE to donate!

Cool Mist for Cool Cats!

We hope you are all settling into summer as well as we are! Our summer routines are in full swing, and we are ready to beat the heat – but the animals need YOUR help! Here at IEAS, we strive to provide many different ways for the animals to stay cool. The animals enjoy pools with waterfalls and vegetation that provides shade for areas of each habitat to give the animals a nice, cool spot to relax. Some animals, such as bears, cougars, bobcats, and lions, have caves that provide a private place away from the sun’s rays. We also have misters that provide a fine mist of cool water in the animals’ favorite places to hang out!

In the past, you, our supporters, have really stepped up when the animals of IEAS needed you the most. We have two mister pumps that each supply water to one half of the Sanctuary. While the pumps are only expected to last about five years, we purchased our original two pumps over ten years ago, and in 2009, your generosity and caring helped the Sanctuary raise enough money to replace one of these struggling systems. At the end of last summer, we began having problems with the second of our initial mister systems, and it has finally given up on us. We now have to buy a new pump to supply water to the second half of the Sanctuary. With your help, Lexus, a male lion, who truly adores lounging in front of the cool mist on his favorite perch, and many other animals will have a great way to stay comfortable and refreshed in the summer!

We are hoping to raise $2,500 to reach our goal. We must purchase a Rapid Cool Pump, which will cost almost $2,000. The additional money is allotted for the need to purchase more mister line, electrical supplies, and plumbing supplies that are required to complete our misting project. Remember, every dollar counts and will help us reach our goal. There is no donation too small!

You can donate through our website, by calling the Sanctuary at 940-433-5091, or send a check to P.O. Box 637, Boyd, TX 76023 . Just be sure to specify that your donation is towards the new mister system!

Stay updated on our progress on our Blog and our website, www.bigcat.org!

Thanks for all of your support!

New Interns Have Arrived for the Summer!

Well, another session has begun and IEAS welcomes Beth, Jackie, Kristi, and Amanda as Animal Care Interns! The staff and new interns are all eager to see what the next three months will bring. There is a lot to learn here at the Sanctuary and the girls seem ready to take it all in! So far, they have begun to learn feeding and pick up routines, daily chores, and all about giving tours, but we think that meeting all of the AMAZING animals at IEAS has been their favorite part!

Are YOU interested in becoming an intern

at the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary?

Wondering what you can do to

better your chances of being selected?

Well, here are a few hints:

1. Work hard in school! Having a background in biology, animal science, wildlife ecology, zoo and aquarium science, or a related field can be SO helpful in working with animals and we certainly like to see someone who is willing to study hard and learn as much as they can!

2. Experience, experience, EXPERIENCE! Have a zoo nearby? Humane society? Wildlife rescue facility? Volunteer! Volunteering or taking part in other internships can be a great foot in the door when looking for animal care experience. IEAS loves to see someone who volunteers their time to learn from and take care of animals!

3. Most importantly, don't give up! The animal world can be very challenging to break in to. It gets frustrating at times to be part of such a competitive field but remember, hard work and perseverance will pay off in the end! Don't give up on your dream. There are plenty of animals out there that need taken care of. The right animal, the right place, and the right job will find YOU as long as you make yourself available!

Troop Care Packages from IEAS!

Happy Memorial Day to all!

Especially our past, current, and future U.S. soldiers!

American soldiers have always and continue to risk their lives for all of us and here at IEAS, we want to do as much as we can to repay them. Between now, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July, the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary will collect as many items as we can to send lots of care packages to our troops who are currently protecting our freedom. It is our hope that the supporters of IEAS - like YOU! - will help us to reach our goal of collecting these items!

IEAS will be making some videos and gathering pictures of some of wildly entertaining and funny animals that are sure to put smiles on the faces of all the troops! We have some ideas of the other items we'd like to collect and have listed some below, but if you think of any more, we are definitely open to ideas and suggestions, so send in anything that YOU think would be great to have.

IDEAS: Phone cards, magazines, books, movies, hand warmers, foot warmers, tooth brushes, mouthwash, febreeze, body wash, body spray, pringles, crackers, cookies, beef jerky, comic books, travel size games, decks of cards, memory cards, suntan lotion, non-carbonated drinks, uniform t-shirts (which can be ordered online from AAFES), underwear, pictures from home, hard candy, blue and black pens, notebooks, envelopes, fly paper, a multi tool or good folding knife, travel size toiletries, powdered drinks (gatorade), blank writable cd's, crossword puzzles, etc...

We have a few ideas of specific troops, platoons, and areas to send these packages to but if you have a soldier in mind, send in the address and (depending on how much we collect) we will send a package their way!

We thank you all for your help in supporting our troops, but most importantly, the soldiers will thank you! It is a great way to show your appreciation for them!

Well, we made it through the storms!

The Sanctuary made it through the storms and we hope you did, too!

The last few days and night here in Boyd, TX have been full of tornado watches, tornado warnings, and big storms but we made it! Last night, we had a tornado warning, with one headed toward Boyd from just west of us. Most of the animals were snug and dry in their houses and calm as could be but as usual, there were a few who were out and about! They love water too much to hate the rain. It's just a little different than sitting in their waters or playing in their pools!

A few of the staff members were a little less collected than the cats and bears! Being in "tornado alley" is new for most of our interns and can certainly cause a big of a scare when the prospect of such a big storm is headed our way. The tornado did miss us, thank goodness, and we hope that everyone who was affected by these storms is safe now!

The next step for us is clean up! With some branches down, waters full of leaves and rain water, and some muddy washouts, we're all set for a busy few days!

We hope to see you all out at the Sanctuary now that the weather is clearing up!

Tours every day at 11 AM and Saturdays also at 3 PM!

See you soon!

HUGE Week for Tours!

Here at IEAS, we always expect a large number of school tours and love to show students around. It really is exciting to teach them about the animals living at IEAS and how to help their wild cousins. This week in particular is going to be a very busy week for the Sanctuary. With over 400 students visiting IEAS in the next few days, the cats and bears will see lots of friendly faces, eager to learn about them!

Conservation Education tours for students are a great way to get kids involved with animals and the environment. At IEAS, we have witnessed first hand how seeing a tiger lounging in the shade, laughing at bear cubs playing in a tree, and hearing lions roaring can truly connect a child to the animals. You wouldn't believe how wrapped up and intrigued the students visiting IEAS become after emotionally bonding with a playful leopard or curious grizzly bear. Seeing these connections is one of the MANY reasons IEAS loves to have school groups come out!

Rainy Days!

It's been a rainy few days here at the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary. All of the animals have a safe, warm, dry house to spend their time in but you'd be amazed at how many of the cats were lounging on their perches enjoying the cool air and rain! We even saw some of our more adventurous felines rolling around on in their thick grass getting as wet as possible! It must have felt pretty good after last week's hot afternoons!

The sun as started poking out now that the morning clouds have burned off a bit. The playful animals here are ready to bask in the sun and dry off, laying on their perches and with their bellies up in the air!

(Photo by Amanda Cone - IEAS Intern!)

REMINDER: VOTE FOR US ON PEPSI REFRESH! Check out our Facebook and past Blog entries for more information!

Titan Update!

Titan, the newest resident of IEAS, has moved into his permanent habitat! He has lush grass, a pool, a house, trees, perches, and plenty of toys to keep him occupied and happy. He seems to really be enjoying his new space. He has gotten the hang of our routine and gets excited when he sees the gator coming to feed in the morning. He has been in his pool and playing with toys already, although his favorite part of the habitat seems to be the the thick grass. He's made himself a few nice bed spots that he loves to lay in and loves to roll around in the greenery in the morning. We are so happy to have given Titan this space of his own, and we are so glad that he loves it so much!

As a REMINDER: Vote for our project on Pepsi Refresh!! We want to win $50,000 to put towards educating people as to the importance of conserving the American black bear! Voting is SO easy. It takes just a few seconds and if you vote once a day every day, we could move up in the rankings! The contest is open until the end of the month and right now we are in 70th place. The top 10 projects will receive $50,000! Help IEAS and help the animals both here and in the wild! Thanks so much!

URGENT: $50,000 for Pepsi Refresh!

Do you think it's important to educate people about the importance of American black bear conservation and reintroduction? Well, so do we! We have been accepted as a potential recipient of $50,000 from the Pepsi Refresh Project in support of our efforts to carry out this education project and we need your help to win it!

Voting is open NOW and will be open until May 31st!

You get five votes a day, but you can only vote for each cause ONCE A DAY!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR

PEPSI REFRESH PAGE TO VOTE!

There are a few WAYS TO VOTE:

You can log in to vote through your Facebook account, which makes the whole thing that much easier - no signing up, no e-mails, just voting!

You can vote from your phone by texting 106151 to Pepsi (73774)! Set a daily reminder on your phone so you remember every day!

And hey! Do you drink Pepsi products? If you do, you can help even more! Under the cap of specially labeled Pepsi products is a code that allows you to POWER VOTE! This gives you extra votes (up to 100!) so be sure to be checking for that Pepsi Refresh label and code! Click HERE for more info about Power Voting!

Remember, we need all the help we can get so spread the word!

Share this link on your Facebook, Twitter, with family and friends!

This voting takes almost NO time and can make a HUGE difference!

Imagine what $50,000 could do for IEAS!

Don't YOU want to be a part of making that happen?

EXCITING NEWS! Meet our newest resident - Titan!

Titan is the newest resident of IEAS and we couldn't be happier that we are able to give this amazing tiger a new life. Titan was rescued from the Kelly-Miller Circus, a traveling circus based out of Oklahoma. Richard Gilbreth, Executive Director, received a call on March 28 from the USDA saying they needed to find a home for a male tiger. Quoted by the USDA, "The tiger wouldn't perform for the circus."

After hearing this, Richard and IEAS knew we had to rescue this innocent tiger. At the time, we just didn't know how fast we needed to act. The Circus was set up in Bridgeport, just 15 miles from the Sanctuary. Since it is a traveling Circus, they were leaving that night, so Richard and Roy headed to Bridgeport to rescue this tiger. The tiger was being kept in a 6X6 cage where all he could do is stand up and barely turn around.

Needless to say, this tiger was ready to get out of those conditions. He loaded right up into his transfer cage and made the short trip to his new home. He has been housed in our Quarantine area but is moving to his new habitat TODAY! Look out for pictures of him after he has settled in! His spacious habitat will consist of trees, grass, perches, a pool and plenty of enrichment items to play with. He will be able to enjoy his stress-free life here at IEAS where he will receive the best quality care.

This tiger will never again have to perform for anyone.

Help Quench Our Thirst!

Looking for a reason to come out to IEAS? Well, if 67 extraordinary animals and the chance for a once in a lifetime experience aren't enough, we are having a SPECIAL EVENT this weekend!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday (April 29, 30, and May 1), you can tour IEAS for the small donation of a CASE OF WATER! With summer on its way, the Sanctuary needs to prepare for all the thirsty supporters that will be headed to IEAS. Having lots of water on hand is key to a great tour experience in the middle of these hot, Texas summers, and YOU can help us get ready.

The normal suggested donation of $20 per adult and $10 per child will be waived if each member of your group brings one case of water bottles (at least a 12 pack)! JUST REMEMBER: children must be at least 7 YEARS OLD to tour IEAS. So, those cases of water, they may be heavy but it's a great, inexpensive way to help IEAS and see the amazing animals living at the Sanctuary!

We hope to see you lugging

those cases of water into

the Sanctuary this weekend!

Remember, this is for Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

Call 940-433-5091 for more information!

Celebrate Easter with IEAS!

Any plans for that time between your morning Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter dinner? Well, a tour of the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary would be a great idea for the whole family!

Just thinking about your visit is making Chrissy smile!

IEAS tours are a great experience for everyone. Instead of Easter BUNNIES, you will have the opportunity to see Easter tigers, lions, leopards, grizzly bears, jaguars, black bears, and more! It will be a wonderful holiday trip for everyone! So as an Easter present to the felines and bears living at IEAS, you and your family could make a trip out to the Sanctuary and pay them an Easter visit! Everyone deserves a "hello" from friends on Easter right?

New Tigers in their Pool!

Well, we've seen evidence of the new male and female tigers going in their pool before, but we finally saw it first hand! The male tiger seems to love the cool, running water in the evenings, especially when he brings his favorite toy in - his pickle! He was spotted the other day in his pool rolling around and pushing his pickle underwater!

Here are some pictures that Amanda, an intern, was able to get...

Come out to IEAS to get a first hand look at this water-loving big cat!

www.bigcat.org

Peanut Party!

Every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday here at IEAS mean something exciting for Scooter, Greta, and Scamp - a Peanut Party! These three American black bears cubs have been working with Louis Dorfman, our Animal Behaviorist since they were only a few weeks old. Since then, they have spent quality time together, munching on peanuts.

While they are lots of fun for these bears, Peanut Parties are not just a snack or play time. These sessions allow Scooter, Greta, and Scamp to socialize, relax, and understand their caretakers, ensuring their comfort and trust in them.

Because of this comfort, these three rambunctious cubs have the reputation of always putting on a good show for tours! Often times, they follow the tour group around Bear Orphanage, playing, pouncing, and wrestling with each other. To see just how funny they can be, check out their wrestling match at the following link...

The Wrestling Match!

Our newest set of interns has been at IEAS for about 6 weeks now! They have completed their initial training and have begun learning about and working on new and different projects.

Here at the Sanctuary, we do lots of work with mortar and cement. Whether in building a cave, repairing a pool, or fixing a water trough, an animal caretaker at IEAS has to be comfortable and confident working with these materials. Interns Amanda, Elyse, Jennie, Jamie, Danielle, and Sydney had their first taste of this work just a few days ago when they learned how to build a water trough.

Click the link below to check out the video!

Interns Building a Water Trough Video