Tj (Tiger)
(Deceased Tiger)
Tj's former caretaker speaks out on Sept. 27, 2015
"Almost any post or video from Big Cat Rescue "highlights" TJ the tiger and tells lies about his rescue from an abusive home. You may want to watch BCR's video first to see how much they twist the truth.
I swear on my life what I say is true, so let me say AGAIN: TJ's story is full of lies. The small metal cage with the concrete floor is for special purposes, such as transporting to a vehicle; sickness; breeding. He did not live on concrete. He was there because Carole Baskin was coming to take him. TJ and I were best friends from the time he was 2 months old to his 6th year. He was never abused! None of the tigers at Savage Kingdom were abused and none are "entertainers".
TJ and I walked with a leash around the 45 acres daily (when that was not illegal). He was docile and well mannered due to his training and upbringing by me. We played, explored and had a grand time! He was loved more than imaginable! He only needed "rescue" (rehoming) due to the failing of the center, due to Robert Baudy's declining health.
In the 10 years I lived there on and off, there never was an inbred or lame "throwaway" tiger as stated many times. I'm relieved to see how happy he looks today. But why do his current owners feel the need to lie about his past? It is to promote propaganda!!! - Big Cat Rescue hypocritically is against all private ownership of big cats. They have repeatedly used lies to attack me personally as well as many others.
Gloria Johnson"
"Almost any post or video from Big Cat Rescue "highlights" TJ the tiger and tells lies about his rescue from an abusive home. You may want to watch BCR's video first to see how much they twist the truth.
I swear on my life what I say is true, so let me say AGAIN: TJ's story is full of lies. The small metal cage with the concrete floor is for special purposes, such as transporting to a vehicle; sickness; breeding. He did not live on concrete. He was there because Carole Baskin was coming to take him. TJ and I were best friends from the time he was 2 months old to his 6th year. He was never abused! None of the tigers at Savage Kingdom were abused and none are "entertainers".
TJ and I walked with a leash around the 45 acres daily (when that was not illegal). He was docile and well mannered due to his training and upbringing by me. We played, explored and had a grand time! He was loved more than imaginable! He only needed "rescue" (rehoming) due to the failing of the center, due to Robert Baudy's declining health.
In the 10 years I lived there on and off, there never was an inbred or lame "throwaway" tiger as stated many times. I'm relieved to see how happy he looks today. But why do his current owners feel the need to lie about his past? It is to promote propaganda!!! - Big Cat Rescue hypocritically is against all private ownership of big cats. They have repeatedly used lies to attack me personally as well as many others.
Gloria Johnson"
The Evolving Stories
Big Cat Rescue - 2008 - (source)
TJ is the youngest of the four tigers and has the personality to prove it. He is more playful than the rest and loves to crash through all of the high grasses in his enclosure. TJ was rescued from Savage Kingdom.
Savage Kingdom Rescue: TJ, Bella, Modnic and Trucha
A hundred times or more a year Big Cat Rescue is contacted by someone trying to unload a tiger, lion, bobcat, serval or some other exotic cat who has outlived his usefulness. In most cases the people calling are those who have used the animals to support themselves, or to make themselves more popular, and now the cat no longer serves their needs. Then the cat has to go.
Big Cat Rescue can only take in a limited number of big cats each year because each cat is a 10-20 year commitment. Most of the cases do not meet Big Cat Rescue’s criteria for accepting a cat as they will not assist these irresponsible owners in continuing to breed and use animals by being a dumping ground for last year’s babies.
This case at Savage Kingdom was different. Robert Baudy was world renown for producing what are commonly referred to as "throw away tigers" because they are so often lame and cross eyed from the inbreeding that goes into producing the white tigers that will fetch a big price.
When USDA finally shut down the 84 year olds’ breeding activities in August of 2006 an era of abuse came much closer to an end. A friend of Baudy’s had managed to place all but four tigers by May 14, 2007. If she could not find a home for these last four tigers she was going to have them euthanized on May 18th because she could no longer afford the time and resources needed to care for the cats.
TJ, Bella, Modnic, and Trucha were the last four cats that needed a home and Big Cat Rescue stepped in to provide one. On May 18th, 2007, Rescuers transported the four to their new home at BCR. They now have spacious grassy enclosures with shrubs and trees, large mountain dens, and pools to cool off in.
Big Cat Rescue - Present - (source)
TJ was the youngest of four tigers who were rescued in 2007 from a breeding facility in Center Hill Florida called Savage Kingdom. He is quite playful and loves to crash through all of the high grasses in his enclosure. TJ has a particular fascination with water and will splash in and out of his pools or the pond, when he is on vacation in the Vacation Rotation enclosure. He seems to delight in the way the light moves on the surface of splashing water.
Savage Kingdom was run by an ex circus performer named Robert Baudy who had been famous for his big cat act in the 1950’s. He boasted that the way you trained a big cat was to chain them to the wall and beat them without mercy until they learned that no matter how much they tried to retaliate, they could never succeed. Once they were broken they were safe to use in performances.
Times have changed, and so has public opinion about how to treat animals, but tiger taming hasn’t changed. Cats are routinely beaten, deprived of food and deprived of space in order to make them perform on cue. Tiger trainers have figured out that no one will pay to see an abused animal, so they make a big show of giving the cats kisses, pats on the head and treats, and tell the public that they only train using love, respect and positive reinforcement. It is a lie.
We do positive reinforcement and clicker training to get our cats to do things like lay down, show us their paws, etc. to make it easier for us to deal with their medical needs. At Big Cat Rescue the cats have the choice of doing the interaction with us and our vets, and if they don’t want to do it, they can walk away.
If the “show must go on” then you can bet the cats were abused behind the scenes to make them reliable performers on stage. Please never pay to see big cats perform.
A hundred times or more a year Big Cat Rescue is contacted by someone trying to unload a tiger, lion, bobcat, serval or some other exotic cat who has outlived his usefulness. In most cases the people calling are those who have used the animals to support themselves, or to make themselves more popular, and now the cat no longer serves their needs. Then the cat has to go.
Big Cat Rescue can only take in a limited number of big cats each year because each cat is a 10-20 year commitment. Most of the cases do not meet Big Cat Rescue’s criteria for accepting a cat as they will not assist these irresponsible owners in continuing to breed and use animals by being a dumping ground for last year’s babies.
This case at Savage Kingdom was different. Robert Baudy was world renown for producing what are commonly referred to as “throw away tigers” because they are so often lame and cross eyed from the inbreeding that goes into producing the white tigers that will fetch a big price.
When USDA finally shut down the 84 year olds’ breeding activities in August of 2006 an era of abuse came much closer to an end. A friend of Baudy’s had managed to place all but four tigers by May 14, 2007. If she could not find a home for these last four tigers she was going to have them euthanized on May 18th because she could no longer afford the time and resources needed to care for the cats.
TJ, Bella, Modnic, and Trucha were the last four cats that needed a home and Big Cat Rescue stepped in to provide one. On May 18th, 2007, Rescuers transported the four to their new home at BCR. They now have spacious grassy enclosures with shrubs and trees, large mountain dens, and pools to cool off in.
Fatal Attractions – Tigers Unleashed, about TJ and Bella tigers: http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/fatal-attractions/videos/tigers-rescued-deleted-scene.htm
