Aspen Echo
(Cougar)
DOB: 8/30/1997 DOD: 7/14/17
Aspen Echo was born at Big Cat Rescue. Her mom was Catrina, a cougar purchased from John Ritchey for $650 for the purpose of breeding, and her father Hallelujah, a cougar purchased at an auction for $175 for the purpose of breeding. If Aspen had litter mates they are unaccounted for.
The CEO of Big Cat Rescue, Carole Baskin, often says she bought cats from auctions to "rescue" them, but you do not buy cats from auctions, breed them to make more cats, and call them rescues unless you are Carole Baskin that is.
According to Aspen Echo's background story found in the Wildlife On Easy Street Safari Guide,
The CEO of Big Cat Rescue, Carole Baskin, often says she bought cats from auctions to "rescue" them, but you do not buy cats from auctions, breed them to make more cats, and call them rescues unless you are Carole Baskin that is.
According to Aspen Echo's background story found in the Wildlife On Easy Street Safari Guide,
Aspen was born at Wildlife on Easy Street to parents Catrina and Hallelujah. She sports the kinked tail and mid-back cowlick that are common to the Florida Panther. She is quite nice through the fence, but wants to playfully tackle anyone entering her enclosure! |
Isn't it amazing that Carole Baskin was skipping over the fact that Aspen was born at her facility for over a decade even though she claims to be transparent and honest about the origins of her cats?
How can she claim to have become a "sanctuary" "rescuing" big cats in 1993 when she was buying cats to sell or breed and allowing people to enter the cat's enclosures to be "playfully tackled?" Aren't true sanctuaries and rescues not permitted to buy, sell, breed, or permit physical contact?
Unless you believe that it is ethical to buy cats from auctions, fur farms, and breeders to sell or breed them, these 3 cats, Aspen, Catrina, and Hallelujah, were not rescued.
The Evolving Stories
Wildlife On Easy Street - 2000 | (CLICK FOR SOURCE)
Aspen was born at Wildlife On Easy Street to parents Catrina and Hallelujah. She sports the kinked tail and mid-back cowlick that are common to the Florida Panther. She is quite nice through the fence, but wants to playfully tackle anyone entering her enclosure! We no longer breed Cougars.
Big Cat Rescue - 2006 | Carole Baskin's Strange Phase (CLICK FOR SOURCE)
Aspen symbolizes the Mountain Lion totem which can be a very difficult totem to have because it places you in the position to be a target for the problems of others. Sometimes those who ascribe to Mountain Lion medicine are blamed for the insecurities of others. Aspen Echo knows that you have to balance power, intention, strength and grace in leadership. If the Mountain Lion comes to you in dreams it is time to stand on your convictions and lead where your heart takes you. Aspen Echo urges you to lead others without insisting they follow and help them become leaders in their own right. You can do this best by setting a good example.
Big Cat Rescue - 2007 | (CLICK FOR SOURCE)
Aspen Echo is, by far, one of the most beautiful cougars at Big Cat Rescue. Since she has such thick foliage in her cat-a-tat, it is startling when you’re nearby and you suddenly hear a huge rush in the trees. Usually, it’s just Aspen batting her play toys around her cat-a-tat. She’s always been extremely playful, though a cougar’s idea of play can be very dangerous. We are careful to purchase only indestructible balls that strong animals, like Aspen, can’t break up and ingest. She also loves to play with the frozen bloodsicles that we make as special treats for the cougars. Tasty, edible play toys are always a big hit with all of the cougars.
Big Cat Rescue - 2015 | (CLICK FOR SOURCE)
Aspen sports the kinked tail and mid-back cowlick that are common to the Florida Panther. She also has a very reddish hue to her coat.Aspen is definately one of the more hyper active cougars at Big Cat Rescue. She has no trouble at all entertaining herself by crashing through the thick palmettos in her enclosure chasing after lizards, squirrels, and anything else that moves. She even likes to stalk Keepers as they clean her enclosure in the mornings.
Quite the character, Aspen is very silly except for at dinner time, when she transforms into the wild animal that she is. Her growls and cougar screams can be very intimidating.
Big Cat Rescue - Present | After Being Exposed (CLICK FOR SOURCE)
Aspen sports the kinked tail and mid-back cowlick that are common to the Florida Panther. She also has a very reddish hue to her coat.
Aspen is definitely one of the more hyper active cougars at Big Cat Rescue. She has no trouble at all entertaining herself by crashing through the thick palmettos in her enclosure chasing after lizards, squirrels, and anything else that moves. She even likes to stalk Keepers as they clean her enclosure in the mornings.
Quite the character, Aspen is very silly except for at dinner time, when she transforms into the wild animal that she is. Her growls and cougar screams can be very intimidating.
Aspen Echo was born here back before we learned that no privately held exotic cats serve any sort of conservation purpose. Back then, in the pre-Internet era of the 90’s, the only people we could turn to for advice were breeders and dealers who lied to us about the necessity of breeding exotic cats to save them. As soon as we learned better we stopped breeding and began campaigning to end the abuse of breeding wild cats for life in cages.
