Cat Tales Wildlife Center formerly Cat Tales Zoological Park is a USDA Licensed - Class C - Exhibitor (all
zoo
A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...
s fall under this classification) that helps rescue and protect
big cats
The term "big cat" is typically used to refer to any of the five living members of the genus ''Panthera'', namely the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard.
Despite enormous differences in size, various cat species are quite similar ...
and Northwest wildlife. It is located in
Mead, Washington
Mead is an unincorporated suburb and census-designated place north of Spokane in Spokane County, Washington, United States. Named for Civil War general George Meade, this rural area is tracked by the United States Census Bureau. As of 2010, the p ...
. As the need for forever homes constantly changes 2020 increased the sanctuary count to twenty one various
felines, including
bobcat,
lynx,
puma,
lion,
Siberian tiger
The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies '' Panthera tigris tigris'' native to the Russian Far East, Northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korean Peninsula, but currently inh ...
,
Bengal tiger
The Bengal tiger is a population of the '' Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna.
The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...
, and
white tiger
The white tiger or bleached tiger is a leucistic pigmentation variant of the Mainland tiger. It is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, in the Sunderbans region and ...
. Along with two black
bears, and twelve various
canines
Canine may refer to:
Zoology and anatomy
* a dog-like Canid animal in the subfamily Caninae
** ''Canis'', a genus including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals
** Dog, the domestic dog
* Canine tooth, in mammalian oral anatomy
People with the surn ...
, including
arctic fox
The Arctic fox (''Vulpes lagopus''), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. It is well adapted to living in ...
,
red fox,
coyote, and
wolfdog
A wolfdog is a canine produced by the mating of a domestic dog (''Canis familiaris'') with a gray wolf (''Canis lupus''), eastern wolf (''Canis lycaon''), red wolf (''Canis rufus''), or Ethiopian wolf (''Canis simensis'') to produce a hyb ...
.
Cat Tales was founded in 1990 by Mike and Debbie Wyche and incorporated on July 27, 1991, as a 501(c)3 non-profit charity. Cat Tales Wildlife Academy is the sanctuary's vocational and zoological technology school, licensed by the Workforce Training and Education Board. Cat Tales is the only zoo in Spokane County. They are home to many animals that have troubled pasts and have been rescued from difficult situations or private owners, often placed at Cat Tales as a final home and safe sanctuary. Through outreach to the community via fairs, expos, classroom visits and otherwise, it is one of Cat Tales primary stated goals that they wish to educate the public about wildlife close to home and far away; their plights and need for support in the wild.
As of September 2019, one of Cat Tales original founders, Mike Wyche died after a long illness. As of his passing the park is run by his wife and head teacher of the zoological education center, Deborah Wyche, as well as his daughter, Lisa Wyche.
Notes
External links
*
* http://www.zooschool.org/
Parks in Spokane County, Washington
Zoos in Washington (state)
Charities based in Washington (state)
Non-profit organizations based in Spokane, Washington
Organizations established in 1991
Tourist attractions in Spokane, Washington
Buildings and structures in Spokane, Washington
Zoos established in 1991
1991 establishments in Washington (state)
{{zoo-stub