Let's Get Meaty!

Ever wonder about the process of feeding exotic felines? Here is an inside look into how our interns here at IEAS prepare the diets every morning!

Overnight the Triple A meat is thawed in bins where blood is collected. The blood is used to help combine and mix the supplements into the meat. Each log of meat (as seen below) weighs 10 pounds and is divided and distributed among the 35 cats.

The next step is to lay the pans out, one for each cat. The sizes can range anywhere from a bobcat bowl (L) to a Nala bowl (R). 

There are a few selective cats who no longer get the privilege of having their pans. Shown below is the aftermath of a Jaguar and Tiger getting pans. 

Each cat gets a different amount of Triple A depending on their weight, activity level, and age. The chart shown displays each animal and their designated poundage. 

There are certain animals, like our lion Shauna, who receive chicken only. Sapphire, one of our resident cougars, receives a combination of chicken and Triple A. Once all of the meat is distributed the multi-vitamin "Missing Link" is mixed into eat diet.

Any other medications needed are also mixed in to the proper animals' diet. 

Finally, each animal is fed and there are happy bellies everywhere! 

Lions, Tigers, and Grizzlies?! OH MY!

Lions, Tigers, and Grizzlies? OH MY!

No one says it better than Judy Garland regarding the fear that comes along when picturing an 800 pound grizzly bear in your presence.

All of our lives, we are taught to fear bears, particularly the fearsome grizzly bear. Even though our society views this particular bear as a danger to the human race, one man questioned this perspective only to see otherwise for himself. The bear man, formally known as Charlie Russell, believed that there was an essential factor missing between both human and grizzly: trust. He did a research study on grizzly bears in Kamchatka, Russia on his ranch to see if grizzlies were a major problem to the ranching business because of the many claims of them eating cattle. Additionally, he started a feeding program in 1972 in which he gave the grizzlies a few cows that died of natural causes for spring time to help lessen their appetite, aiding in keeping them out of neighbors' yards. He also rescued ten brown bear cubs from a zoo in Kamchatka to live free on his land, strengthening his understanding of grizzlies not being unpredictable as everyone thought.

For eleven years, the bear man surrounded himself with  many grizzlies, allowing him to have many encounters with them going in and out of the front door to his cabin. While studying these bears, he soon realized that they weren't the problem; rather, it was the fear and distrust that we have towards them that was the true issue. The belief that the grizzlies were eating the ranchers' cattle was used to justify killing them and stereotyping them as unpredictable beasts was proven false by his studies, though this took years and years to understand.

Here at IEAS, we make sure to respect our grizzlies and, through our Emotional Enrichment Program, the staff members form relationships with them that strengthen their trust in us and aids in the overall quality of life and care of the bears. 

Our grizzly bears are loving, affectionate, and filled with so much personality YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY WALK BY AND NOT CAPTURE THEIR NATURAL ESSENCE. If you have the opportunity, please visit our sanctuary to get a tour of these wonderful characters!!

Happy Birthday, Mork!

Happy Birthday, Mork!

On Thursday, October 8^th, one of our three resident White-nosed Coatis, named Mork, will be turning 12 years old! Mork was brought to the Sanctuary in April 2012 with his friend Mindy by a nice couple in Glen Rose, Texas, who owned them for 10 months, but then wanted them to have a better, forever home. Now, Mork and Mindy enjoy a spacious, natural habitat together containing enrichment toys, hammocks, several perches, an encircling walking ramp and a water misting system to keep them cool in the summers or a heat lamp and bedding for when it gets too cold.

White-nosed Coatis are native to the United States (Texas, New Mexico and Arizona), Mexico, Central America and South America (Columbia). They are members of the raccoon family and the order Carnivora, but they are actually omnivores that eat fruit, insects, small vertebrates, carrion and eggs in the wild. Like raccoons, they are good climbers that are well-adapted to human influence and have been known to forage through trash and campgrounds for food. On the other hand, coatis are active during the day rather than at night like the raccoon, but they are capable of becoming more nocturnal if necessary.

At IEAS, Mork’s diet consists of canine kibble, Fig Newtons, fruit (Mork's favorites are grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew melon) and eggs. For your viewing pleasure, check out this adorable video of the first time Mork was given an egg:

Mork and all of the other IEAS animal residents are available for adoption! For only $50/month (all donations are 100% tax-deductible), you can adopt Mork and receive:

• An 8x10 photograph of Mork
• An adoption certificate
• One accompanied visit with Mork every month during which you can sit by the habitat and get to know him! (You must give us 24 hours’ notice before coming to the Sanctuary)

The Story of White Tigers

The Story of a White Tiger:

This is Kumar. He is an eleven year old white tiger who was brought here with his two siblings from another facility so that they could avoid licensing issues. 

White tigers only exist in captivity as a result of inbreeding, which produces a double recessive gene. The white coloration is caused by a mutation in the SLC45A2 gene, restricting the expression of red and yellow pigments.

 The inbreeding of tigers began in 1951 with Mohan, who was captured from the wild in India, raised and inbred to his daughter leading to the existing population of captive white tigers. The recessive mutation was then discovered to be present in both male Siberian tigers and female Bengal tigers. As a result in the 1970’s many small zoos began breeding these two species to give rise to white tigers. 

However, many white tigers suffer from genetic disabilities including: crossed eyes, spinal problems, deformed kidneys, cleft palate, as well as club footedness. For example, Kim and Kumar at IEAS both have crossed eyes, which are the result of inbreeding that causes the optic nerve to connect to the opposite side of the brain.

This is Kim. She is seven years old and was given to IEAS with her sister Karen by her previous caregiver. As you can see her left eye is severely crossed due to the strong defects associated with inbreeding.

 Some studies suggest that white tigers can survive in the wild, considering they were found in the wild since the 1500’s, but the last white tiger to be found in the wild was shot in 1958. On the other hand, deleterious mutations such as those found in white tigers are highly disadvantageous for survival in the wild considering they do not blend in well in a tropical jungle environment causing them to be killed off. White tigers are also reported to live shorter lives due to their genetic complications, presuming they aren't rejected by their mothers and survive the birthing process. 

In June 2011 the AZA banned the breeding of white tigers, white lions, or king cheetahs and other species that express rare genetic traits due to the high correlation to debilitating genetic and physical issues. Therefore, the nine white tigers at IEAS are advocates for their species as their stories help to educate the public on how natural selection occurs and the large downstream effects that it can have on a population

Happy Birthday Prince!

On this day September 23, 2004 a handsome Prince was born. Prince was rescued from a property with over 300 other animals including our lovely Princess with whom he shares his habitat. He arrived at IEAS in 2011 and since then he has become a beloved part of the IEAS family. He enjoys getting in his pool even on cooler days and playing with his enrichment toys. Prince can usually be caught snuggling with Princess. 

Unfortunately, due to habitat loss and human wildlife conflict tigers, like Prince, are declining in numbers in the wild. Through conservation and education efforts IEAS aims to inform the public about the different ways you can help save magnificent animals such as Prince. 

Happy 11th birthday Prince!!! :)

Meet Mau!

Meet Mau!

Mau is our resident cheetah!  He is almost 12 years old and has been with us since he was only five months old.  Cheetahs are notably the world’s fastest land mammal and the most endangered African cat.

So how do cheetahs reach such high speeds? They have several adaptations that allow them to reach speeds up to 70mph. They have an extremely flexible spine, giving cheetahs the ability to take a longer stride.  Their shoulder blades are not attached to the collarbone, also enabling the shoulders to move more freely. Finally, the hips pivot to permit the back legs to stretch farther apart when the body is fully extended. Unlike other cats, cheetahs have only semi-retractable claws and have harder, less rounded paw pads to allow for better traction, like the cleats of a track shoe. The cheetah’s tail is long and powerful so it can act as a rudder, stabilizing and acting as a counterweight so the cheetah can make sharp, sudden turns. All of these features combined enable cheetahs to have strides up to 23 feet with about four strides a second. Now that’s fast!

Unfortunately, cheetahs face multiple conservation issues in the wild. Habitat loss and fragmentation is a major concern in developing areas of Africa, as is interaction with humans. Livestock owners often unfairly blame cheetahs for the kills made by other large predators, such as hyenas, leopards and lions, resulting in the farmers trapping or shooting the cheetah. Illegal wildlife trading also contributes to a depleted cheetah population because cheetah cubs are being captured from the wild and smuggled out of Africa to become pets. They also face extreme competition from other African predators, who can often overpower a cheetah. Sadly, the result of these factors has been a decreased population, with only about 10,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild.

Luckily here at the sanctuary, Mau leads a good life.  He can be found roaming around his habitat or lounging in the shade.  Please come out and enjoy a tour where you can learn all about our animals and hopefully you can catch a glimpse of Mau!

How Well Do You Know Your Tigers?

Historically, there were 9 sub-species of tigers. The Caspian, Bali and Javan are now extinct; The South China and Indochinese are genetically extinct; and the remaining sub-species in the wild today are Amur (Siberian), Bengal, Malayan, and Sumatran which are declining rapidly in the wild. Here at the Sanctuary we have primarily Bengal tigers, but also one Siberian!

Siberian tigers are the biggest of all the sub-species. They are the largest and heaviest member of the entire cat family to be exact! Body length can be upwards of 10-12 feet and can weigh around 600 pounds. Siberian coats are notably thick and a pale golden color, with black stripes and white underbellies.

Our resident Siberian tiger is Caesar! He is currently 18 years old and has been at IEAS for a little over 17 years. You can read his full story here: http://www.bigcat.org/animal/caesar

Caesar

Bengal tigers are smaller than Siberians, with a body length of 5-6 feet and weighing around 400 pounds. Their coats are usually a thinner pale yellow color, with black stripes on their bodies.

Here is one of our orange Bengal tiger residents, Khera! Khera is currently 21 years old. Her full story is here: http://www.bigcat.org/animal/khera

Khera

Come on down to IEAS for a tour so you can meet these two wonderful cats and test your identification skills! You'll get to see them as well as many of our other Bengal tigers! They are certainly looking forward to meeting you!

Why Do Sanctuaries Exist?

So what happens to these animals that are in the news, plus the many others that don't make the headlines but are abandoned by irresponsible individuals or organizations that obtain an exotic animal for egotistical or financial reasons without concern for its future care? Well, THAT IS WHY WE EXIST.

Big John, one of our current residents, was brought to us after the Fish and Wildlife services confiscated him and other animals from a Spanish circus. These animals were being kept in deplorable conditions. The tigers, including Big John, were hot, hungry, and thirsty. When he was brought to us, we had no place to put him or the other tigers. While they were being kept temporarily near Brownsville, TX, IEAS worked non-stop to get a habitat ready for these tigers. Thankfully, with the help of the local community and other organizations, enough money was raised to build a habitat for all of the new residents. Big John went from being in a cramped trailer into a 15,000 square foot habitat.


Big John enjoying his pool.

These animals are shuffled off to us, some other sanctuary or suffer a much more dire fate if such facilities aren't available.

Nakita, another resident we have, was abandoned just outside the sanctuary gates during a midnight winter storm. Keepers discovered her the next morning around 6:00am shivering, wet, and scared. She was brought immediately to the veterinary clinic where it took staff almost an hour to open up the crate she was put in. There was no where at the time for her to go so she stayed at the veterinary clinic. During her first month there, the staff worked non-stop to turn our last available habitat into a suitable place that would meet all of her needs so she could live a happy, healthy life.

Nakita exploring her habitat.

One of the saddest things we have to do is turn down many animals that need homes on an almost weekly basis because we don't have the funding to care for more animals and build new habitats without endangering the future well-being of our existing inhabitants to whom we owe the most. Unfortunately, unless there is media attention and great sympathy, most people aren't willing to donate the necessary funds to insure the endowment of the animal.

There are many was to help our Sanctuary:

• Come join us for a guided tour. Each adult donation feeds 4 cats for one day.
• We are constantly in need of things around the sanctuary that are on our Wish List.
• Adopt one of our animals, such as Nakita or Big John. You can even come to the Sanctuary to visit your adopted feline. =^-^=
• You can also help us by giving your time through volunteering.

Those are only a few ways to help the animals here at the International Exotic Sanctuary. To see more please visit our How To Help page.

If you are interested in hearing what were are all about and learning about all of our residents, come join us during our tours. They are everyday at 11:00am and there is a second tour on Saturdays at 3:00pm.

Photos for Profit

Have you ever heard of someone paying to get their picture taken with an exotic animal cub? Usually its with a baby bear, lion, tiger, etc.; you can be holding the cub while bottle feeding it or simply petting it. Most people think it sounds like an incredible opportunity they want to experience, but they don't know how dangerous it actually is for the animals involved.

First, the cubs are ripped from their mothers too early in life and forced into an unnatural life of captivity. When the cubs aren't being used for pictures, they are kept in cages and withheld food making them hungry. When they are brought out for a picture they are starving and only focused on the bottle so they wont hurt the human holding them. And lastly, when the cubs are too old or do not turn a profit anymore they are either abandoned or euthanized.

We have received numerous animals from photos for profit organizations. Some of the current residents include: Odin and Saber.


Odin, our male lion, and Saber, one of our white Bengal tigers, came to IEAS together in 2013. They were only a few months old at the time when they were rescued from a profitable photo opportunity.

Odin

Saber

Thousands of exotic animals are exploited every year through the horrible businesses that are photos for profit. We need to help spread the word so people no longer feel the desire to visit them. Sure that moment of interacting with an exotic animal may be exciting but just remember that animal has been suffering its entire life so one person can feel happiness. Please help us spread the word about photos for profit organizations so we can end them! Thank you!

Newt - In Loving Memory

It is with very heavy hearts that we say goodbye to a member of the IEAS family. Newt, a resident bobcat, passed away peacefully in his habitat on July 31st. At 21 years old, Newt was one of our oldest feline residents and he called IEAS home for the majority of his life. He came to the Sanctuary when he was about two years old, surrendered by a young couple who could no longer care for him. Newt spent most of his days lounging on his favorite corner perch or in his cave (which stayed nice and cool in the summer heat). Although he kept to himself most of the time, he was definitely a fan of flirting and teasing his two female neighbors, Baby and Cookie. 

The one thing Newt's keepers will always remember is how much he loved rolling around in the disinfectant spray that was used to sanitize his habitat. No matter the time of day, where he was, or what he was doing, he would ALWAYS come down to have a good roll on the ground wherever it was sprayed.

Newt lived a long and happy life at IEAS. We were fortunate enough to get to know him and he will be very greatly missed. 

I scream, you scream, we all scream for......bloodcicles?

Here at IEAS, we have different types of seasonal enrichment that we give all of our animals. Now that the Texas summer weather is upon us, we like to give out ice-pops for enrichment and to help cool everyone down in the heat of the day. To make these ice-pops, we fill water balloons with water, freeze them, and then peel off the balloon when it's frozen solid. For our feline friends, we make them even more delicious and refreshing by adding a little bit of blood to them. While some of our cats get a little too distracted by the keepers and interns standing there waiting to capture the moment, the majority of our cats have no problem digging right in. Check out some photos and videos of them enjoying their treat!

Nala

Allie Kat

Khera

Karen

Kumar

Kimberly

Sajani

With our hot summer days just getting started, you can definitely look forward to more posts, pictures, and videos of more summer enrichment fun!

The Texas Ocelot – Endangered and Still Declining

Meet Rio, the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary's resident Ocelot!

Rio came to IEAS from the El Paso Zoo after she was retired from the Species Survival Program (SSP). The goal of the SSP is to manage specific and threatened/endangered species populations within AZA accredited zoos and aquariums, certified facilities (such as IEAS), and approved non-member participants. Rio started off shy when she arrived, but with help from our emotional enrichment program, she has become a curious little cat, enjoying exploring her habitat at night. 

The ocelot is wild cat that use to wander several parts of the southern states, such as Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Today, however, there are less than 50 ocelots in the United States and they rely heavily on the remnant thorn forests of South Texas. Currently, they are primarily found roaming the forests of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

Deforestation has been a major factor in the decline of ocelots. Forests have been cut for their timber and for urban development, leaving these cats with no place to live. These wild cats have also been subjected to the fashion world. Many feel a very unnecessary need to have that ocelot-lined fur coat leaving these creatures on the critically endangered list.

However, there is still a chance for these beautiful cats! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services are continuing to research the ocelots at Laguna Atascosa to determine what they need and how to further their survival for the future. They are working closely with the Texas Department of Transportation to build safe wildlife crossings for these guys, such as funnels that allow them to cross under roads so they can establish new territories and find mates. Experts in the U.S. and Mexico are also proposing translocation as a possibility. Translocating would involve moving the ocelots from the United Stated to Mexico.

What You Can Do

1. Visit the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge so that you can have the opportunity to see these guys in their natural habitat. They are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Address: 22817 Ocelot Road

Los Fresnos, Texas 78566

956-748-3607

www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas

2. Be cautious while driving. These cats are subject to getting hit by unaware drivers. =( Please pay attention to speed limits and critters crossing the road.
3. Plant and protect native trees on your property. Every tree helps!
4. Volunteer at your closest Wildlife Refuge/Sanctuary. Learn as much as you can to keep informed and inform others!
5. Support ocelots through the Adopt an Ocelot program at www.friendsofsouthtexasRefuges.org or call the Refuge at 956-748-3607

Please Report Ocelot Sightings!

Whether the ocelot is dead or alive, this information can be very helpful.

Please IMMEDIATELY call:

• Law Enforcement Dispatch: 956-784-7520
• Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge: 956-748-3607, ext.111
• Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge: 956-784-7500

Provide important information, including your name, phone number, the location you saw the wild cat, time, and type of sighting (dead or alive); identifying marks that confirm it was an ocelot and not a bobcat; and directions to the location and details of the sight.

If you find a dead ocelot, please stay away from the carcass if you can until the United States Fish and Wildlife Services arrive.

Come tour the sanctuary and visit Rio!

Tours are Sunday through Friday at 11:00am and Saturday at 11:00am and 3:00pm.

We Love Our Volunteers!

We love our Volunteers!

At the Sanctuary, we have several devoted volunteers that the staff and interns are so thankful for! We appreciate them so much and probably don’t show it or tell them enough.

Volunteers help with everything at the Sanctuary from doing the dirty work, such as washing endless dishes, helping clean the nutrition center, and even laundry. Our volunteers also do a variety of other tasks such as helping the interns sort through donated produce, helping feed bears, taking pictures for our gift shop, giving tours, and even gardening and helping make the Sanctuary look nice.  Lately our volunteers have helped tremendously with mowing and weed-eating which we are so thankful for, especially in this heat! They have planted new flowers in our previously empty flower pots to help make our sanctuary look more presentable to the public. Much more takes place here than just feeding and cleaning habitats. By volunteering at IEAS, there’s always something new to learn.

Volunteering at IEAS is a unique and rewarding experience. Our volunteers love helping out with the daily chores because they can work while enjoying the company of our exotic animals. If you are interested in volunteering please contact the sanctuary at (940) 433-5091.

Thank you so much volunteers! We wouldn’t be able to do it without you!