Endangered Wildlife Species

Good afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S.!  I hope you are having a great Friday and will have a safe weekend.

Dr. Bhagavan Antle of T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve in Myrtle Beach strives to save Cheetahs.  Dr. Antle and eight exotic animal trainers from T.I.G.E.R.S along with their veterinarian Dr. Sherri Duncan, decided to go and teach the staff of Savannah Cheetah Foundation  how to train cheetahs to our lure system and make a video and photo documentary of this amazing event. Some of the T.I.G.E.R.S. staff have over twenty years experience working as professional videographers and photographers and are continually working with endangered wildlife species.  It is our hope that the sight of a beautiful cheetah pelting across the grass up close and personal both live and on DVD would help inspire their visitors and those who view the video and pictures, towards a more ecologically friendly way of life.

The Foundation was created as a breeding facility for cheetahs, and also as a place for people of all kinds to come and learn about the plight of cheetahs in the wild. Most of the visitors to the preserve are local students, many of whom have been raised with the idea that cheetahs are nuisance animals that need to be eradicated in order to protect livestock. It is to these children of Africa that the message of conservation is most essential.

We came to film and train cheetahs in a place with no name that is a mere ninety minutes drive from the airport, but is as far removed from anything resembling a city as somewhere can be.

Visit one of the best Myrtle Beach attractions, T.I.G.E.R.S. and enjoy a Myrtle Beac Safari for yourself.  

The Rare Species Fund is currently developing a program to reimburse farmers for livestock lost to wild predators, including jaguars. This initiative ensures that the predators do not become a financial liability for the farmers and are therefore less likely to be illegally poached. The RSF rewards farmers in the program who set aside a minimum of twenty percent of the land to be kept in its natural wild state. This ensures that viable habitat will remain for the jaguar as well as other indigenous wildlife, including: tapirs, monkeys, toucans, sloths, caiman and spectacled bears.

Click here for more information on T.I.G.E.R.S. and the RSF.

Good beautiful, sunny, Friday afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  The staff and animals, dedicated to ongoing breeding and international conservation projects are currently in full swing at the 50 acre Preserve and Preservation Station.

T.I.G.E.R.S. was founded by Dr. Bhagavan Antle. He is one of the World’s foremost trainers of big cats and other exotic animals. Doc Antle’s animal actors have appeared in over 500 films, television shows, commercials and advertisements worldwide.

Enjoy this written last season by Mary Quinn O'Connor:

If you’ve ever wondered where the animals you see on TV and movies live when they're not on set, or even how they learn to “act”, look no further than Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This tourist destination, known mainly for its sunny weather and crowded beaches, is also home to Tigers Preservation Station and Safari (T.I.G.E.R.S) a safari for celebrity animals.
 
“Watching the film and television process happen gave me an idea that recreating that for our guests gave them the chance to see animals up close and in action doing things like their favorite television moments,” said T.I.G.E.R.S. Founder and safari director Dr. Bhagavan Antle.
 
“Doc” created a safari for visitors from around the world to come and see these highly trained animals in their natural habitat. You may recognize these animals from films such as "Ace Ventura", "Doctor Doolittle", "Jungle Book", and "Mighty Joe Young".
 
“We act as agents for the animals,” said Antle. “Producers from movie and television call us up and say ‘We need a tiger who will just go up and lay down with an actress,’" said Antle.
 
The trainers at T.I.G.E.R.S make that request a reality. Through hundreds of hours of training a week, these animals become accustomed to working with humans.
 
“That gives the animals an edge in working the movie and television business because they are already so acclimated to the human lifestyle,” said Antle.
 
Thirty years ago, Antle created this unique safari experience where guests could come and interact (sit with them, play with them, and feed them) with these wild, endangered, and even famous animals like nowhere else in the world.
 
“It’s not going to the zoo, it something all together different,” said one safari guest.

The animals at this safari have already starred in over 500 movie and television shows over the past 30 years, and some of these animals still have a long career ahead of them-- like Bubbles the Elephant. Bubbles has starred in many movies, but is most famous for her role in Ace Ventura.
 
“She’s what I call the world’s biggest movie star,” said Antle. “There has been another elephant in a movie but its not as tall or heavy as Bubbles.”
 
By visiting Bubbles or some of your other favorite animal-stars, you are contributing to the Rare Species Fund which was established to provide funding to critical international wildlife conservation programs.
 
“The animal actors and the animals that are here meeting the guests will raise money for grassroots conservation programs that give people the chance to save wildlife throughout the world,” said Antle.

Mary Quinn O'Connor is part of the Junior Reporter program at Fox News

Over the last decade T.I.G.E.R.S. have donated over 200 thousand dollars, as well as time, effort and expertise, to grassroots conservation programs in Asia and Africa. The money from the Wildlife tour goes directly to help save the Endangered Wildlife Species and preserve their natural habitats.  For information about T.I.G.E.R.S. visit, www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

It's another beautiful day in Myrtle Beach, SC!!!  Most people don't know when they visit Myrtle Beach that there is an interactive animal preserve and tour just miles down the road.   T.I.G.E.R.S.  was created as a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with informative, educational, and entertaining interactive programs. Founder and Director, Dr. Bhagavan Antle works closely with international wildlife conservation projects in South America, Africa and Thailand. In addition to providing much needed funds for these programs, our personnel have been involved in field research as well.

The Wild Encounters Tour is a guided walk through a fifty acre preserve  just 17 miles South of Barefoot Landing, where you'll meet tigers, wolves, leopards, chimpanzees, orangutans, and other endangered species, many of them up-close and un-caged! During the tour professional photographers shoot studio quality photographs and video of the tour and the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve experience. This gives you the opportunity to take home a set of portraits and phenomenal videos that are incomparable to any other photo opportunity.

Frequently asked questions:

Where is the tour located?

The tour is located on our 50 acre preserve in Myrtle Beach, SC. It is about 15 miles south of Barefoot Landing. Exact directions will ONLY be given to those who have tour reservations. For the privacy and safety of our animals, guests and personnel our address is not published and will not be given out.

How do I find out whether a particular day is available for the tour?
If you are looking for a particular day for the tour and would like to find out if availability still exists before you make a reservation please fill out a tour request at www.myrtlebeachsafari.com/signup or you can simply send us an email with the days you are looking for and we can let you know if we have availability that day. You can also make inquiries at our tour desk at Preservation Station.

How old do you have to be to be on the tour?
The minimum age for the tour is 6 years of age. This is due to the amount time and attention needed to really enjoy the experience of our tour and tends to be too long and contain too many necessary instructions for younger children.

How many days in advance should I book the tour?
If you are looking for a particular day, we recommend booking at least a couple weeks in advance. You can book as far in advance as you'd like and if we have availability up to the night before.

How long is the tour, when do we need to arrive and when should we expect to be done?
You have to arrive for the VIP Wild Encounter Tour at 9:15am. The Tour will begin at 10am and will end around approximately 1pm. As you will have the opportunity to look though all of the photos taken of your family/group and choose the one(s) you would like to have printed, exact time of departure will vary from group to group. If you have somewhere that you need to be after the tour and need to leave by a certain time please let our staff know and we will do our best to accommodate you.



Go online and visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information about the Rare Species Fund, the tour and Tigers Preserve.  Come to see the White Tigers, a liger and other amazing animals in Myrtle Beach at one of the most exciting animal adventures ever.  All proceeds from the tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

Good day from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach, SC!  Got plans for the weekend?  The weather will be spectacular and tomorrow is THE BIG DAY.  The greatest Myrtle Beach attraction opens for the 2013 season!

There are two ways to experience the greatest hands-on, interactive wildlife encounter in the world. You can visit T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station, located at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach for free! Or you can take the T.I.G.E.R.S. Wild Encounter Tour in Myrtle Beach.

Wild Encounters Tour is a guided walk through a fifty acre preserve in Myrtle Beach, just 17 miles South of Barefoot Landing, where you'll meet tigers, wolves, leopards, chimpanzees, orangutans, and other endangered species, many of them up-close and un-caged! During the tour professional photographers shoot studio quality photographs and video of the tour and the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve experience. This gives you the opportunity to take home a set of portraits and phenomenal videos that are incomparable to any other photo opportunity.

This is the best way for you to support our ongoing breeding and international conservation projects and get hands on with what we do.

By attending the tour you get one comlimentary 8X10 photo per group of your choice from your tour. However we highly recommend our Photo CD.  Our Photo CD is a professional CD portfolio of you and the animals on the tour. It has each person in your group individually with the animals, your group together with the animals, candid shots of your day and photos of the animals themselves. You end up with several hundred photos that you have the right to reproduce as long as it is not for commerial puposes like ads, billboards, movie and television.

Wild Encounter Tours
5 days a week from
March 16, 2013 through October 12, 2013
Tours are on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
beginning at 10:00am and lasting approx. 3 hours.

Click here to request a Wild Encounters Tour online
OR
call 843-361-4552

Come to see the White Tigers, a liger and other amazing animals in Myrtle Beach at one of the most exciting animal adventures ever.  All proceeds from the tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

Hi and good Friday afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve in South Carolina.  Dr. Bhagavan Antle has a Myrtle Beach Safari for you to visit in Myrtle Beach.  You can see up close and personal a variety of endangered Tigers Species as well as several other endangered wildlife species.  It is a one of a kind Myrtle Beach Attraction.

Like Dr. Antle and his staff, other projects give way to vision, missions, beliefs, and efforts to save individual animals, animal populations and habitats all over the world.  See below:

YARMOUTH PORT, Mass., Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW- www.ifaw.org) announced today an emergency grant to rescue the last remaining 10 big cats from Riverglen Tiger Sanctuary near Mountainburg, Arkansas. The funds are being used to build temporary enclosures for the tigers at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR), located 80 miles to the north.

Efforts to rescue the felines got underway in November of last year when the Crawford County sheriff contacted TCWR staff. The sheriff reported a total of 34 big cats including tigers, leopards and cougars housed in enclosures in such state of disrepair that it was described as a "ticking time bomb." The owner, a 72 year-old woman suffering from health complications, opted to surrender all of the animals.

"The housing conditions have deteriorated significantly and are now too insecure to contain big cats, especially tigers. It is as unsafe for the animals as it is for the public," said Kelly Donithan , IFAW Animal Rescue Officer. "We want to relocate the animals to TCWR as soon as possible so that they can be safely housed and receive the proper care they require."   

The three-month rescue operation will conclude at the end of the month when the tigers are safely crated and loaded into a rescue trailer for the trip up to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, AR.

"Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is honored to have the help and support from IFAW," said Tanya Smith , TCWR President. "Together we are making a difference for each of the animals we are relocating."  

"Surprisingly, while some state regulations make big cat pet ownership difficult, keeping big cats as pets or for mere profit is generally legal in the United States," said Tracy Coppola , IFAW US Campaigns Officer.  "As a result, casualties and dangerous incidents continue to pile up."

"Adding to this problem is the fact that many unscrupulous exhibitors breed and keep baby tigers and other big cat species in order to be handled and photographed by paying customers," Coppola continued.  "After the animals grow too big, they are often sent to roadside zoos, kept in backyards, or even killed."

IFAW is working to pass the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act, a bill that will soon get reintroduced this Congress to phase out private possession and breeding of big cats in the U.S. and require people who currently possess them to register those animals with the USDA.

Since 2003, IFAW has helped rescue more than 133 tigers, lions, and other big cats from unsanctioned shelters, closing sanctuaries and other poor and unsafe living conditions in the US.

Visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information about the Rare Species Fund, the tour and Tigers Preserve.  Come to see the ligers and other amazing animals in Myrtle Beach at one of the most exciting animal adventures ever.  All proceeds from the tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

Good day from T.I.G.E.R.S.!!  As most of you already know, Preserve Founder and Director Dr. Bhagavan "Doc" Antle is also the founder of  the R.S.F., (The Rare Species Fund.) He grew up on a vast cattle ranch in Arizona, where his great love for wild and exotic animals began and from a very young age he began raising and caring for every amazing animal he could get his hands on.

The RSF (Rare Species Fund) was established to provide funding to critical on the ground international wildlife conservation programs, thereby complimenting the educational messages and field research of T.I.G.E.R.S.  The Fund receives its financing base through a percentage of revenues taken in by T.I.G.E.R.S., the generosity of donations from exhibit guests, and the general public.

One Specific project where funding has made a real difference include helping fund the Matabeleland Leopard and Cheetah project in Zimbabwe.  The video below is one of the conservation projects that the RSF supports. It is very important to meet with people like this first hand to understand exactly what they are doing. . . . . and to figure out how we can best help their efforts.



By 2000 Zimbabwe had a conservation record second to none.  It was home to many of Africa's top Professional Guides, the product of superior guide training, good enterprise and some big personalities in a mature safari industry.  The country had prolific wildlife in diverse habitats and was regarded as one of Africa's top safari destinations.

In 2000 the politicians simply lost the plot. Aside from a socio-economic disaster about to be delivered to the people of Zimbabwe, international tour operators and the country's traditional markets cast their own votes by withdrawing support. The safari industry shrank as a result, visitor numbers plummeted and the country's wildlife and conservationists were left stranded.

Handfuls of dedicated individuals across the country have struggled against growing odds in their conservation efforts over the last decade. The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit is a case in point.

VFAPU LogoIn 1999 the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) was established by Charles Brightman, a Professional Guide, local safari operator and conservationist, together with the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.  VFAPU has since worked in close co-operation with the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Zimbabwe Republic Police on anti-poaching efforts. They patrol a 50 square kilometre area around Victoria Falls with 18 full time scouts to combat poaching in all its forms.

Whilst VFAPU's activities are largely directed at the removal of snares and the apprehension of subsistence and commercial poachers, a great deal of time is spent educating and reinforcing the benefits of conserving the areas natural resources.

VFAPU's work has been recognised through the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism as four time recipient of the Green Globe 21 Award for Conservation Efforts in Zimbabwe.  Charles Brightman has been personally recognised as a finalist in the Safari Awards category for "Best Personal Contribution to Wildlife Conservation".
 - www.victoriafalls.net

Today, Doc is widely recognized as one of the foremost animal trainers in the world, having worked with thousands of animals, and traveled the globe promoting the education and conservation of some of our planet's most rare and endangered species.

Please join us in our worldwide education and conservation efforts at www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.
 

Good Monday afternoon to all from T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve in Myrtle Beach!   

If you've kept up with the local news this past week, you know that the theme for the 16th Annual BI-LO Myrtle Beach Marathon was "RUN WILD!"  This year some four-legged friends were added to the three day event through a partnership with the Rare Species Fund for International Wildlife Conservation. Funding for the group is derived from The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.).  T.I.G.E.R.S. houses a stunning group of the world's most rare and endangered species, some of which were present at the HTC Runners' Expo and the Start Line.  

The idea to bring animals to this event was hatched by Marathon Committee members.  Organizers teamed up with T.I.G.E.R.S. founder and director, Dr. Bhagavan (D0c) Antle to bring an orangutan, a gibbon, baby tigers, and other exotic animals.  According to some sources, Bubbles, the African elephant stole the show.  

Bubbles, who served as the official guest race stater, lifted her huge trunk, and a trumpeted loudly to the runners off on their 13.1- or 26.2-mile races.  

The Rare Species Fund was established to provide funding to critical on the ground international wildlife conservation programs, thereby complimenting the educational messages and field research of T.I.G.E.R.S The Fund receives it financing base through a percentage of revenues taken in by T.I.G.E.R.S, the generosity of donations form exhibit guests, and the general public and now the Myrtle Beach Marathon..

The Rare Species Fund actively supports the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB) in its efforts to improve African zoo collection management, captive animal husbandry, and public educational messages. On a Continent where millions of wildebeest make an annual migration of several hundred miles, covering a huge swath of two countries, accompanied by zebra and other plains game, as well as many rare and endangered predators, almost 99 per cent of all African youth will never see any of these animals in their natural habitat.

Through the RSF, the FCF (Feline Conservation Federation) is doing its part to help educate the citizens of this continent to appreciate the wealth of their wildlife diversity and the threats to its continued existence in Africa.

According to The Sun News, Race Director Shawn Walsh said he hopes to be able to bring the animals back for a future marathon.  “We’re definitely going to sit down and talk,” he said. “I’d like to be able to incorporate them again.”

Want to meet the apes and Bubbles the elephant for yourself?  You can at T.I.G.E.R.S. (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species); this is a one of kind Myrtle Beach Attraction.  On this tour, you will also see amazing animals at one of the most exciting animal adventures ever.  All proceeds from the tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.  For reservations, go to www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.
 

Good Friday afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach!  It's Marathon time!  The 16th Annual Myrtle Beach Marathon kicked off with the HTC Runners Expo last night.  

This year the Marathon is adding some four-legged friends to the recipient list through a partnership with the Rare Species Fund for International Wildlife Conservation. RSF is a non-profit grassroots organization established in 1982 to provide financial support and practical training to wildlife conservation initiatives. Funding for the group is derived from The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.).

MYRTLE BEACH -- "The Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon has a theme for its 16th running on Feb. 16: Run Wild.

Marathon organizers have partnered with Dr. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species wildlife education organization that he oversees to include a number of animals in race activities and benefit the Rare Species Fund charity.

Trained animals from the T.I.G.E.R.S. wild animal nature preserve in the Socastee area are scheduled to make appearances at the race-affiliated runner’s expo, 5-kilometer race, Ripley’s Family Fun Run and the Dasani Half Marathon and Bi-Lo marathon races.

According to our source, “We’re going to see how well it’s received and how to incorporate it, and if it’s successful we’ll hope to build on that in future years,” Myrtle Beach Marathon president Shaun Walsh said.

If all goes as planned and weather permitting:

• The HTC Expo will feature a baby tiger habitat. Antle’s staff will be in attendance to talk about Tigers being endangered, what the institute is doing to try to protect them and how people can help. The expo will be held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 and from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Feb. 15.

• Orangutans will be present at the Ripley’s Fun Run at 5:30 p.m. and the 5k at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15, both at Broadway at the Beach.

•  Bubbles the elephant will be at the start of the marathon and half marathon on Grissom Parkway near 21st Ave. North at 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 16, and may be positioned in the middle traffic isle to have runners going past her on both sides. Orangutans and a tiger may be at the finish at TicketReturn.com Field, as well.

The marathon has been donating to Horry County Schools, the Red Cross and Leukemia Society in recent years, so it will add raising awareness for wildlife preservation and benefitting the Rare Species Fund to philanthropic purposes this year.

“Because of the travel involved, if we were anywhere else in the country he probably wouldn’t be able to do it for the amount we’ll be able to raise for him this year,” Walsh said.

Walsh said registration is on pace with the 2012 race, which set records with approximately 2,800 runners in the marathon, 4,500 runners in the half marathon and 1,100 participants in the 5k. The Fun Run had about 2,400 participants in 2012, which is the most since 2008.

Limits this year are 3,000 for the marathon, 5,000 for the half marathon and 1,500 for the 5k.

Post-race bicycle rides on Sunday, Feb. 17 will leave from the Waccamaw Shrine Club on Elm Street on the marina in downtown Conway. A 63-mile ride begins at 9 a.m., a 33.5-mile ride begins at 9:15 a.m., and a 14.2-mile ride begins at 9:30 a.m. Proceeds from the rides benefit Horry County Disabilities and Special Needs."
- By Alan Blondin - ablondin@thesunnews.com

Animal attraction T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach are the best hands on animal experiences in the World. For more information visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

Good Friday afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  Did you know there are two attractions here where you can get up close with wild animals?   T.I.G.E.R.S Preserve and Preservation Station are wildlife exhibits and living tiger habitats. At both, you will find the chance to meet some of the world’s most amazing animals up-close and in-person while they play and relax in an outdoor environment. You will see 60 big cats, apes, tigers, grey wolves, a liger and Bubbles the Elephant.

I was talking today with someone who took the tour last summer and she told me her favorite part of the tour was the orangutans.  I had to agree since I was there as well.  It was so much fun to watch them  playing and laughing while we enjoyed a mid-afternoon tea party.

Make it a point to visit T.I.G.E.R.S., their season begins next month!

Did you hear this?

The Baltimore Ravens have an ape in their corner for Super Bowl XLVII, which is nice.

An orangutan at a Utah zoo has predicted the winning Super Bowl team each of the past five years. The ape, named Eli, is picking the Baltimore Ravens this time around.

Eli made his pick by knocking down a papier mache goal post decorated with the Ravens logo. He ignored the 49ers post.

Eli's pick of the Ravens is consistent with the prognostication of Princess the camel. But Boone the black rhino, named after 49ers offensive lineman Alex Boone, is going with San Francisco.

Hogle Zoo spokeswoman Erica Hansen said Eli has hesitated in years past, but charged toward the Ravens side this year. He then joined his mate and daughter in chowing down on the edible posts.

At least he's confident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Want to meet the apes and Bubbles the elephant for yourself?  You can at T.I.G.E.R.S. (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species); this is a one of kind Myrtle Beach Attraction.  On this tour, you will also see amazing animals at one of the most exciting animal adventures ever.  All proceeds from the tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.  For reservations, go to www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.
 
 

Good afternoon again from T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach!  

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a horrific case of elephant poaching that took place in Kenya’s oldest, largest and most stunningly beautiful national parks.  

Even after years of conservation, we are still seeing wildlife crime on a huge scale. Wildlife crime is now the most urgent threat to three of the world’s best-loved species—elephants, rhinos and tigers.

Illegal wildlife trade is now estimated to be between $7.8 and $10 billion per year. It is a major deal with activity worldwide—along with weapons, drugs and human trafficking. These traders and kingpins are rarely arrested, prosecuted, convicted or punished.

These species cannot survive high levels of poaching for long.

Some good news this week:

A WWF App Teaches Us About Endangered Species…and Folding Them into Memorable Origami Art

By: Joe Berkowitz

World Wildlife Fund’s iPad app brings users closer than ever to some of the world’s rarest creatures and even lets them make origami portraits.

The World Wildlife Fund is letting its fans keep some of the world’s rarest creatures at just an iPad’s length away.

Recently, the WWF rolled out its first iPad app, WWF Together, which is available in the iTunes store. Created by digital agency AKQA, the new app puts users right in the mix with some of the endangered animals the WWF strives to protect, in unexpected ways. Using interactive features, WWF Together reveals the story of eight different animals, with new ones set to add regularly going forward.

Each animal’s story unfolds through fascinating trivia, hi-def videos, and animal portraits by renowned environmental photographer Morten Koldby. WWF makes the most of the iPad’s functionality to enhance the user experience, letting you swipe sea ice to unearth polar bear facts, or use the device’s camera for a simulation of tiger vision.

Perhaps best of all, though, the animals’ stories conclude with a portrait that utilizes the Japanese folding art of origami. Users will eventually download origami instructions for each animal, and share the results with friends on Facebook.

Visit T.I.G.E.R.S., a 50-acre preserve in Myrtle Beach, home to over 60 big cats. Monkey around with our apes, watch tigers swim and meet our grey wolves. Fly trained falcons, get the feel for our “cubs” and you may even get to meet Bubbles the Elephant. This is the only place in the world where you get to meet the Liger, the world’s largest cat as seen in the 2006 Guiness Book of World Records!

T.I.G.E.R.S. wants to see you this spring, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information on the animals, the Director and the tour.  See you soon!!

Hello again from T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach!  Did you know that over 40% of all living species on Earth are at risk of going extinct?  The Institute for Greatly Endangered Species, which operates four public education exhibits, is committed to endangered species protection. The Rare Species Fund was established to provide funding to critical, on the ground, international wildlife conservation programs, thereby complimenting the educational messages of T.I.G.E.R.S.

Here's an article out just this week about another effort:  

San Diego Zoo and Audubon Nature Institute team up to breed endangered species

By John Platt
Tue, Jan 15 2013

California's San Diego Zoo and the New Orleans-based Audubon Nature Institute today announced a plan to establish a 1,000-acre breeding center for endangered species, including scimitar-horned oryx, whooping cranes, Masai giraffes and more than a dozen other species.
 
The partnership between the two zoos, dubbed the Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife, will take over facilities run by the Audubon Nature Center in Algiers, La. Construction on the enclosures for the endangered species will start later this year and breeding is expected to follow in 2014.
 
Douglas G. Myers, president of San Diego Zoo Global (the zoo's parent organization), said the partnership "will be a model for collaborative efforts in the future." Audubon president and chief executive Ron Forman called the planned breeding center a "one-of-a-kind resource for zoos and aquariums to rebuild animal collections that are in danger of disappearing."
 
Although many captive-breeding programs are designed to eventually release animals back into the wild, the first priority of this partnership is to stabilize populations for display in zoos, which means additional animals will not need to be captured from the wild. "This unique, innovative partnership is a big deal for us,'' Steve Feldman, vice president of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We have a common mission to make sure these animals don't go extinct. It's really going to make a new and meaningful difference in our work.'' Feldman said the work to create sustainable populations for some of these species — and to restore their degraded habitat if animals are released back into the wild — could take decades, if not an entire century.

 
Other species expected to be bred at the facility include lions, flamingos, secretary birds, pink-backed pelicans, okapis, slender-horned gazelles, common elands and bongo antelopes. The full list has not been finalized. The animals will come from both zoos as well as other AZA-accredited facilities.
 
The amount of space to be dedicated for the center will enhance breeding efforts, the two zoos said. In most cases zoos breed endangered species by bringing together individual males and females. Having larger herds or groups will facilitate breeding, especially in species that breed according to social structure, experts told The New York Times. Larger groups will also help young animals grow up to be well-adjusted. The antelope and bird species especially will benefit from the larger habitat. "The idea is, since we have all this space, let the antelope be antelope," Robert Wiese, chief life sciences officer at San Diego Global, told the Associated Press. "Have the herds acting like herds."
 
Audubon has invested $30 million in the Algiers facility since it acquired the land from the United States Coast Guard in 1990. It has been breeding some endangered species at the site since 1996. The two zoos expect to invest another $10 million to build new pens and paddocks for the facility's new residents.

If you want to join T.I.G.E.R.S. in the conservation and protection of endangered and other threatened species, visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information on how you can help.

Good afternoon and good Friday to all from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!

A few weeks ago I posted about elephants that are being driven to extinction in large parts of Africa, amid the seizure of a large shipment of poached ivory in Malaysia.  Sadly, this week carcasses of a family of elephants have been found killed in Kenya:


By Rohit Kachroo, Correspondent, NBC News

TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK, Kenya -- The bodies of five elephants lie under the shade of the trees – their giant ears flapping in the wind, but their majestic bodies totally still.

It is a gruesome sight in this, one of Kenya’s oldest, largest and most stunningly beautiful national parks.

As our helicopter circles the scene, we glimpse two other elephants nearby: A mother lying dead next to a baby calf - her daughter. The bodies of another three siblings sit in the baking heat. Other corpses are slumped across several acres of parkland.

In total, there are 12 slain elephants – a family, murdered on Saturday in Kenya’s bloodiest attack by poachers on record.
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The spot is so remote – inaccessible by road vehicles – that it was only possible for us to reach them by the air. And yet, the poachers are thought to have trekked for days – maybe weeks – through the dense bushes with the intention of killing the family for their horns. It is, perhaps, an indication of the poachers’ determination, and the sophistication of their planning.

Armed with guns and axes, the 15-strong gang struck during the day. They shot the animals one by one before sawing off their tusks. Park rangers chased their footprints for 10 miles into the bush, but the trail vanished. Investigators believe that they may have dumped the tusks in the park to collect later, before splitting up and disappearing into the woods.

Wilson Korir, who leads the military-style defense force tasked with protecting the park from poachers, said: “These guys [the gang of poachers] are now looking for some crude transport like the use of a donkey to be able to transfer the tusks to the nearest center where they can ferry it using a vehicle.”

 “We have a lot of covert operations going on outside. We have positioned a platoon of rangers outside there just to wait and see. If they appear they will pounce and arrest.”

Accompanied by rangers, we leave our helicopter and walk towards the spot where some of the bodies lie. We are all struck by the stench of the corpses, as flies swarm and maggots eat away at them. The face of each of the animals is badly severed – it is clear where the poachers’ axes have struck.

From the position of the elephants, investigators suspect that there was a stampede as the animals tried -- and failed -- to race away.

It is grim evidence of a growing problem for Kenya. According to the country’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga, 360 elephants were killed in Kenya last year – almost one a day – up from 289 in 2011.

Demand comes from the growing middle class in China, where ground tusk is said to have medicinal value, and ivory is still desirable in jewelry and home decorations. A pound of illegal ivory can fetch around $1,000.

“The dynamics of poaching are taking a different angle altogether because there is a lot of demand for ivory from outside,” Korir said.

“But in the history of Tsavo National Park this is the worst.”

He welcomes promises of greater investment in wildlife security, and calls by world leaders for a global campaign against trafficking. But his priority now is to find the poachers behind Saturday’s attack.

“The message is clear. They come (back) into the national park at their own peril. The rangers are there and waiting for them. They come and they will be eliminated.

“These are dangerous gangs. They carry firearms. There are no two ways about it – fire for fire. So let them come. We are equally prepared. We are waiting.”

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle created the attraction, T.I.G.E.R.S. to provide enriched habitats for many species of endangered animals.  All proceeds from the TIGERS Tour and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

Good afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!!!  The staff would like to wish you the Happiest of New Years.  You know by reading previous posts that Dr. Bhagavan Antle, founder of T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station.established the Rare Species Fund to provide funding to critical, on the ground, international wildlife conservation programs.  The Fund receives its financing base through a percentage of revenues taken in by T.I.G.E.R.S., the generosity of donations from exhibit guests, and the general public.

Others like the young man in the article below also want to help:

Teenager Saves 20,000 Animals From Euthanasia
November 30, 2012 Dori Edwards

Dori Edwards, Global Animal

Similarly to how many grass roots organizations begin, Kids Against Animal Cruelty started with a small group of animal lovers carrying signs on street corners and a Facebook page with 47 friends.

“We are Animal Knights fighting for the rights of all animals,” describes KAAC on their Facebook page. An animal activism group that uses social networking to encourage adoption at high kill shelters, KAAC was founded two years ago by child actor/singer Lou Wegner when he was a mere 14 years old.

Wegner established KAAC after volunteering at a local animal shelter in Los Angeles during the filming of his short film Be Good To Eddie Lee.

“It was heartbreaking. All these dogs crying in their cages. Knowing they would be put down broke my heart,” Wegner recalled of the facilities.

Wegner relayed it was the first time he became aware of the disconcerting euthanasia rates throughout the country- believing before that shelters were safe places for homeless animals.

After two years, KAAC boasts 12,000 members, 50,000 supporters, and 20,000 animals it has saved from euthanasia.The organization has branched across the United States and has several chapters, all run by young animal lovers like Wegner.

In New York City, two sisters are head of a faction that helped find lost dogs and provide food for families with animals during Superstorm Sandy. Two of Wegner’s young relatives run chapters in Arizona and Minnesota.

Wegner hopes that KAAC will eventually have a chapter in every state, ”because the bigger the group you work with, the bigger difference you can make. “

Robin Harmon, a transporter for Best Friends’ Animal Society, was “especially impressed that at a young age, he could control his feelings and the sadness that we all feel when we are helping at high-kill shelters.”

According to AP, Wegner agrees that the sadness is hard to deal with. “Saving one keeps you going,” he says.

Wegner’s volunteering does not end with KAAC. Clearly a dedicated animal lover, he began another group in South Carolina called For the Love of Dogs in order to save a black labrador retriever named Tommy Joe that he believed “was doomed.”

He is also co-host of the Global Voice Broadcasting radio show Love That Dog Hollywood! Kids & Animals. According to the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services and a guest on the show Brenda Barnette, Wegner is ”a well-spoken advocate for animals and for peer involvement.”

Wegner also believes in a need to educate children on cruelty to animals. After the recent cases of child-inflicted animal cruelty when a 12-year-old hung his family dog and two 11-year-olds threw rocks at a pregnant cat, Wegner stated that these children should be exposed to a euthanasia room.

Wearing his KAAC t-shirt everywhere he goes, Wegner and his compatriots for animal rights are far from finished with their work. ”They euthanize just as many animals every day as we have saved. It’s like throwing a Band-Aid in a river,” he says.

We expect to see a lot more from Wagner and his team of dedicated friends. We are grateful that the young generation has taken on this cause and is reshaping the future for animals.

Today, Dr.(Doc) Antle is widely recognized as one of the foremost animal trainers in the world, having worked with thousands of animals, and traveled the globe promoting the education and conservation of some of our planet's most rare and endangered species.

T.I.G.E.R.S. wants to see you this spring, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information on the animals, the Director and the tour.  See you soon!!

Merry Christmas from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  Caring for endangered animals has always been the focus of Dr. Bhagavan Antle and his staff at T.I.G.E.R.S.  Read below:

"In 1984 our lives changed forever when a new 350 pound 42 inch tall baby girl came into our lives. This "baby" was Bubbles our African elephant. For an elephant she was very small and helpless. She had a very sad story to tell with a happy ending. Hundreds of thousands of elephants were killed for their ivory tusks between 1970 and 1989, when the slaughter ended because the ban on ivory import was put into effect. Along with the thousands of elephants killed, thousands of babies were left to die. Most of these orphans were either destroyed, since their was no place in Africa to house and care for them, or they starved to death. Bubbles was one of the few lucky ones that were put on a plane and flown to the United States where a handful of animal facilities awaited their arrival."

According to recent articles, an increase in illegal hunting makes many species' extinction a real near-term threat.  

One report, launched Wednesday, found that illicit trade in wildlife is worth at least $19 billion a year with organized criminals viewing it as high profit and low risk because governments don't give it a high enough priority and haven't implemented an effective response.

Last year is said to be the highest on record for elephant poaching: ivory estimated to weigh more than 23 metric tons - a figure that represents 2,500 elephants - was confiscated in Africa alone.

Another report cites the governments which are being held accountable for enforcing regulations on wildlife, including imposing sanctions where necessary, and a campaign to reduce demand for endangered species.

Back at T.I.G.E.R.S., the decision to care for an elephant was not a light one though, it was a lifelong commitment since elephants live 60 to 100 years.  What a delight and enormous undertaking Bubbles has been.

For over 25 years, their wildlife conservation and education programs have been funded entirely by offering incredible wildlife encounters.  Com visit The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species and Preservation Station to share these incredible experiences with your family and friends while helping to save some of the rarest species on Earth.

Good chilly Thursday from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  For those of you who wished for chilly weather, you got your wish!  Winter months are perfect for making plans for the warmer weather to come.  If you live here or are planning a visit, you should definitely plan to visit T.I.G.E.R.S.

T.I.G.E.R.S.,(The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species) is a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with informative, educational and entertaining interactive programs.  All of the animals can be seen up close and uncaged in close personal contact with their trainers.  When you take the tour, you are helping endangered and exotic animals everywhere.  

Please enjoy this article I read this morning:

Conservationists say elephants are being driven to extinction in large parts of Africa, amid the seizure of a large shipment of poached ivory in Malaysia.

ELEPHANTS are being driven to extinction in large parts of Africa, conservationists said yesterday after the discovery of what is thought to be the largest shipment of poached ivory in Malaysia.

Seizure of 1500 tusks hidden in shipping containers destined for Asian buyers highlighted the scale of the trade that is destabilising African nations by helping to fund rebel movements, they said.

The shipment originated in Togo, a popular smuggling outlet for armed gangs who control the illegal ivory trade.

"I fear that elephants may disappear entirely from those parts of Africa least able to protect them from the onslaught," said Virginia McKenna, the actress and founder of the Born Free Foundation.

Richard Thomas, of the wildlife-trade monitoring group Traffic, said that although elephant populations in southern Africa were well protected, and therefore growing, those in other parts of the continent were under serious threat.

"The majority of poached animals are in Central Africa, and that is down to poor governance," Mr Thomas said.

The region's dwindling population of forest elephants are prized by poachers for their finer, straighter tusks and pinkish ivory.

A report submitted to the UN yesterday by the WWF warned that the illegal ivory trade threatened Africa's governments as rebel groups used the sale of tusks to fund their wars.

"This is about much more than wildlife. This crisis is threatening the very stability of governments. It has become a profound threat to national security," said Jim Leape, director-general of WWF International.

In this week's seizure the Malaysian authorities estimate that 20 tonnes of ivory were hidden in secret chambers in 10 containers supposedly carrying wooden floor tiles.

The shipment travelled from Togo via Spain and was destined for China until customs officials at Port Kelang made the discovery.

This single haul is almost equivalent to the total amount of ivory seized last year, the worst year on record.

Despite a ban on ivory since 1989 demand has continued to soar, primarily in China and Thailand.

A recent investigation by National Geographic magazine revealed another growing market in the Philippines, where ivory is carved into icons venerated by its Catholic population.

In June the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species described the plight of Africa's elephants as "critical" and said that elephant poaching had reached its highest level for a decade, with tens of thousands of animals killed for their tusks each year.

By: Tristan McConnell
From: The Times

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle designed the Myrtle Beach attraction to provide enriched habitats for the resident felines that enable the keepers, trainers and employees of T.I.G.E.R.S. to perform routine feeding and cleaning chores and facility maintenance safely and effectively. Public safety is also addressed, since the facility is open for educational tours and filming.

Make a difference! Do something good today! Join us, Support FCF, and Endangered Wildlife Species.  Contact us today and see how you can become a part of the oldest, premiere private Feline Conservation Organization in the world!

Good afternoon and good Friday to all from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  Do you love animals?  Did you know there are two attractions here where you can get up close with wild animals?   T.I.G.E.R.S Preserve and Preservation Station are wildlife exhibits and living tiger habitats. At both, you will find the chance to meet some of the world’s most amazing animals up-close and in-person while they play and relax in an outdoor environment. You will see Bengal tigers, Siberian tigers, Royal White Bengal tigers and of course, the Golden Tabby tiger, presented by a loving and dedicated staff. 

Enjoy this interesting article I found on one lucky White Tiger:

By Keith Reid
kreid@recordnet.com
Record Staff Writer
December 05, 2012 12:00 AM

LODI - Bob Ringo cringed while peering through a window into the surgery room at Lodi's Arbor Pet Clinic on Tuesday, watching as his 16-year-old white tiger Twix underwent a tail amputation.

Ringo, 62, raised Twix since birth at his Cave Junction, Ore., Tiger Preservation Center. He was heartbroken on Thanksgiving when another tiger clawed and bit Twix's tail, leaving major gashes in the appendage. After being injured, the 300-pound cat would not leave the injury alone, and tried to lick it until it healed. The tail became infected.

"I can't bear to watch it," Ringo said. "I'd be in there if it was something else. But, this ... this is hard to watch."

Twix is said to be a "sweetheart" that enjoys human interaction. She suffered a back injury four years ago that made her slow enough to put her in a position where she could not avoid the Thanksgiving day tail injury.

The Tuesday surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Turner at his Lodi office. Turner has become known as one of the top big cat veterinarians in the northwest. Ringo said Oregon veterinarians don't have the expertise or desire to work on large cats.

So, Ringo and a friend put Twix in the back of a minivan and drove 400 miles for the surgery. The 3-foot long tail has a diameter of about four inches at the base. Turner worked to cauterize the veins and safely remove the tail of the sedated tiger. The tail would be sent for cremation.

Turner's staff performed a dental cleaning at the same time.

"Dr. Turner and Dr. Lindsay Phillips are the best," Ringo said. Phillips is a former University of California, Davis veterinarian that assisted Turner on Tuesday's surgery.

Ringo's Tiger Preservation Center is a non-profit rescue. There are 12 tigers, two lions, and a leopard living at the shelter, Ringo said.

Turner said he's proud to be able to perform surgeries and dental work on tigers and other large cats because most species are either endangered or close to being endangered. He said white tigers are under siege in other parts of the world, and lion bones are used for aphrodisiacs, which leads to poaching.

White tigers are Bengal tigers. Their color comes from a recessive gene that makes their fur white with black stripes instead of orange with black stripes. They are rare, but can be found in India.

"We got everything taken care of, and I don't think there's going to be any swelling. She's all ready for recovery and heading back home," Turner said.

Come and cuddle up and get hands-on with a variety of animals while they sit on your lap.  Visit Preservation Station or T.I.G.E.R.S. the 50-acre preserve in Myrtle Beach, home to over 60 big cats. Monkey around with our apes, watch tigers swim and meet our grey wolves. Fly trained falcons, get the feel for our “cubs” and you may even get to meet Bubbles the Elephant. This is the only place in the world where you get to meet the Liger, the world’s largest cat as seen in the 2006 Guiness Book of World Records!

All proceeds from the TIGERS Tour and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

Hi and good Friday afternoon from TIGERS Preserve in South Carolina.  Dr. Bhagavan Antle has an attraction for you to visit in Myrtle Beach.  You can see up close and personal a variety of endangered Tiger Species as well as several other endangered wildlife species.  It is a one of a kind Animal Preserve in Myrtle Beach.

I read a story yesterday that really gave me a good feeling.  Many who lost their homes to Sandy don’t want to give up their pets, but they have nowhere to keep them.  In response, the ASPCA opened a 20,000 square-foot emergency boarding facility for hundreds of animals displaced by Superstorm Sandy.

The shelter is  located in Brooklyn and the service is offered to those who need a place to house their animals until they can get back on their feet.  It will also provide shelter for pets of those in evacuation centers.

This effort is greatly aided by a $500,000 grant from generous animal lover Rachael Ray, as well as the donations of our compassionate supporters.

One source said, “We will continue our disaster relief work to help animal victims in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and hope that the emergency boarding facility will allow pet parents to focus on rebuilding their lives,” says ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Senior Director Tim Rickey. “It will take time, but we will work as a community, and the ASPCA will continue to provide ongoing assistance, personnel and resources as long as we’re needed.”

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All proceeds from the TIGERS tour and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

Come to see tigers and other amazing animals at one of the most exciting animal adventures ever.  

Visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information about the Rare Species Fund, the tour and Tigers Preserve.

Hi From Myrtle Beach!  I've posted many times about Nature Conservationists and their efforts to rescue endangered animals. A perfect place for these creatures is an animal sanctuary.  Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death.

Please enjoy the following recent article:

KENDALL COUNTY, Texas -- "Wild and exotic animals at an area animal sanctuary that have been rescued from trafficking and inhumane treatments are getting some much needed help from television legend Bob Barker.

A woman running the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation facility reached out to Barker for help and what came after that may surprise you.

The animal sanctuary has been saving thousands of mammals, birds and reptiles since 1977. It's a 187 acre facility located near Kendalia in Kendall County. Because the sanctuary commits to taking care of the animals for life, their founder Lynn Cuny said they have a lot of expenses.

That’s why Lynn decided to reach out to well known animal lover Bob Barker for help.

She said, “This sanctuary here is very unique in that these animals have, like these monkeys and these lemurs have space in which to live that is very natural”.

Lynn has rescued many exotic creatures from the underground pet trade world.

“We also rescue them from road side zoos”.

Many times these types of animals are victimized when taken out of their natural habitat and sold as pets. But Lynn says they are not pets. They’re wild animals that require special care which can be costly.

“Like every non-profit organization there's always times when you, when things are tight financially tight and we're not immune to that either,” said Lynn.

That’s why she reached out to Bob Barker's foundation known for donating to such causes.
Initially she asked for $5,000 to buy an avian ventilator. Then she was surprised to get a call from Barker himself.

“He said that we probably could use a little bit extra money. And I said always, so he said I’m going to give you $250,000”.

The Wildlife Rescue facility operates on a $2 million budget a year so this will be a big step for next year to feed and care for the animals.

If you'd like to donate or simply find out more information about Kendall County-based Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, visit their website www.wildlife-rescue.org."
-Reported by: Laurie Salazar

There is a 50-acre Animal Sanctuary Attraction just minutes from Myrtle Beach.  T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve hosts tigers, wolves, leopards, chimpanzees, orangutans, and other endangered species and even a liger (a cross between a lion and a tiger, and it weighs over 900 lbs!).  

When you take the tour, you are not only witnessing an amazing animal show, you are helping out with support, research and conservation projects for Endangered wildlife species and the rare species fund.  For additional information, visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

Good afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  The temperatures have dropped considerably and it's beginning to feel like fall!  The staff at T.I.G.E.R.S. is very busy at the moment.  They along with some other are attractions are hosting an incredible event at the end of this month.  Read below:

MYRTLE BEACH -- When Myrtle Beach photographer August Michel heard about an English couple traveling the world and having weddings in each country they visit in search of the best place to get married, he knew he wanted to get them to the Grand Strand.

Two months later Michel has gotten the couple, Alex Pelling and Lisa Gant of Yorkshire, England, to agree to participate in a whirlwind five wedding ceremonies in five days at various locations throughout the area. The couple has been chronicling their experience on their blog and Michel said ABC’s “20/20” will be in Myrtle Beach to produce a news story on Pelling and Gant.

“I thought about all of the beautiful places to get married between Wilmington and Charleston,” said Michel, owner of August T. Photography. “I told them I wanted to do something extravagant and they responded and absolutely loved the idea.”

And so the Myrtle Beach Wedding Extravaganza was born. Between Nov. 24 and 28, Michel and an army of about 50 local vendors will host five wedding ceremonies for Pelling and Gant at locations such as Litchfield Plantation and the TIGERS Preservation Station.

How much is this once in a lifetime trip and the many extravagant weddings costing the couple? Not a dime.

All of the venues, DJs, florists, dress makers, bakeries and even a local winery are donating their time and products for free.

The local marathon of theme weddings includes a Southern charm ceremony at Litchfield Plantation; skydiving and jet skiing in a James Bond ceremony on the beach; a Candy Land ceremony at the Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach; elephant riding at TIGERS Preservation Station; and a celebrity ceremony with Legends in Concert performers and a “world-record setting wedding reception flash mob” back at Broadway. The first four weddings are going to be more private, but everyone is welcome to attend the fifth ceremony at Broadway at the Beach on Nov. 28.

Michel is most excited about the flash mob at that fifth ceremony, with choreography coordinated by Coastal Carolina University cheerleaders. They plan to put a video on YouTube so that anyone can learn the dance and join them at 5 p.m. Nov. 28.

The choreography “is not going to be complicated. If everybody knows the date, time and location, they’ll be able to participate,” Michel said.

The cheerleaders also will hold two practice sessions in the week leading up the wedding. Information about the practices will be shared on the event’s Facebook page.

Those interested should meet plan to arrive around 4 p.m. and meet by the Christmas tree to the right of WonderWorks next to the visitor’s center.

“It’s going to be so much fun,” Benson said.

T.I.G.E.R.S. was founded by Dr. Bhagavan Antle. He is one of the World’s foremost trainers of big cats and other exotic animals.  Some of these animals are the rare and on the list of endangered species; Golden Tabby Tigers, Siberian & Bengal, Tigers, Panthers, Leopards, Royal White Tigers, Lions and Jaguars.

So if you live here or you're just visiting, go see the amazing animal exhibit located in Myrtle Beach.   T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station is a wildlife exhibit and living tiger museum with all proceeds benefiting the rarest tiger in the world, the Golden Tabby tiger. It is located near Myrtle Beach.  For information, please visit, www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

Good day from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Tigers for Tomorrow on Untamed Mountain, the 140-acre piece of property in Attalla, Alabama.  T.I.G.E.R.S. founder and Director, Dr. Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, chairman of the accreditation board, visited the preserve.

Check out another preserve featured in the following article from http://www.felineconservation.org:

Patty Perry founded Wildlife and Environmental Conservation, Inc. (WEC) after years of practicing raptor rehabilitation at the Ojai Raptor Center, which treats over 1,500 native birds annually.

The WEC facility relocated from Ojai, to Moorpark, California in 2009. In addition to the many species of owls, hawks, eagle and falcons, are exotic felines. Conservation education of school age children is the major focus of WEC and Patty presents programs to schools and churches, and also does community outreach and private programs.

For Accreditation Board member Ron Young, one of the focal points of the WEC application was how much room was provided the tigers. Ron says, “I have worked at six different zoos and Patty provided her tigers more room than Busch Gardens in Florida does for their tigers.”

The WEC facility consists of 12 lovely acres and the entire property is fenced using 8-foot tall chain link, with additional security provided by surveillance cameras throughout. WEC’s serval and Siberian lynx share a 22-foot wide by 72-foot long enclosure. Inside this spacious habitat are lemon trees for shade, and an elevated platform with cathouse built on top. The ground is covered with chain link and five inches of sand lay on top. The cats’ feeding area is sheltered under a 10-foot by 20-foot solid roof.

For the tigers, a pair of 20-foot by 30-foot retreat enclosures connects to a 10,000 square foot communal exercise habitat. The retreats are 9-guage-chain link, 14-feet tall, and completely covered with solid aluminum roofing over steel purloins. Concrete feeding slabs and automatic waterers are provided. Above the large exercise habitat are mister systems and fly spray systems. The tigers have their own platform and cat condos. A pair of metal 10-foot water troughs gives the tigers access to water for soaking and play.

The Feline Conservation Federation facility accreditation board carefully reviews applicants to ensure that the facility is providing excellent care for felines. FCF exhibitors provide great experiences for the public and help shape a better future for felines living in nature. FCF educational exhibitors are important partners that help shape public policy and support for habitat protection in nature and in captivity. FCF Executive Director Lynn Culver says, “This is increasingly important because so many feline species are facing a real threat of extinction if we do not act to reverse population declines.”"

Myrtle Beach attraction, T.I.G.E.R.S. (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species) and the R.S.F. (Rare Species Fund) are based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  For more information, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.