Tiger Haven is a non-profit 501(c)3
sanctuary for
big cats in
Roane County,
Tennessee. The sanctuary has been in operation since September 1991.
As of December 2020, Tiger Haven reports having over 250 animals in sanctuary, all but 10 of which are
tigers,
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
s,
leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
s, and
cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
s. The remaining 10 includes
servals,
caracals, and
bobcat
The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...
s.
[Tiger Haven website]
accessed November 13, 2012 The sanctuary houses rescued animals deemed to be abused, abandoned or neglected. The facility occupies a property. Tiger Haven has never been a roadside zoo by being open to the public and does not exploit the animals by public exhibition and never has. Tiger Haven does no commercial activity with any animal. Tiger Haven is a true sanctuary, with no buying, selling, breeding, loaning of any animal.
The facility is operated by Tiger Haven, Inc. The facility is a non profit IRS 501(c)3 non-profit. In 1991 it was granted a
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency permit allowing it to keep tigers and other big cats on the premises.
The animals receive regular veterinary care from the
University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), including on-site visits to sanctuary premises. In 2011, the UTCVM class of 2014 voted to donate proceeds from the first UT College of Veterinary Medicine Charity Golf Classic to benefit Tiger Haven.
Controversy
Neighbors of the facility expressed concern that animals might escape and could be heard. However, the lawsuit was dismissed in March 2013.
References
External links
Tiger Haven- Official website
Cat sanctuaries
Environmental organizations based in Tennessee
Buildings and structures in Roane County, Tennessee
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