T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve in Myrtle Beach

Good afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station!  Are you looking for some fun in Myrtle Beach?  Our area has so much to offer, the options are endless.  Do you like free stuff?

I was doing some research for the blog this morning and found this article on usatoday.com.  check it out, it mentions Myrtle Beach's favorite animal attraction!:

Vacation expenses often add up much quicker than travelers imagine, thanks to airfares, baggage fees, the cost of gas, hotel rooms and eating out. But being on a restricted budget doesn't mean you can't enjoy what a city has to offer. Many highly appealing destinations have enticing no-cost entertainment options. Here are some of our favorite cities for free activities.

Myrtle Beach: Fireworks, music, tigers and time travel

The Atlantic coast is where much of the Southeast goes to play in summer, and there are plenty of free things to do in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Start on The Boardwalk, a 1.2 mile-long promenade with ocean views and superb people watching. The Boardwalk's also where you'll find an amazing lineup of free festivals, carnivals and concerts, all part of the city's Hot Summer Nights program.

On Wednesday nights, Myrtle Beach celebrates Hump Day with a 9:30 p.m. fireworks show at the 2nd Avenue Pier. Another free fireworks show caps each Tuesday evening in summer, thanks to Broadway at the Beach, where warm-weather concerts are also held at no charge.

Show your stripes with a visit to T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station at Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach's amazing yet free wildlife exhibit and tiger museum, where you can watch Bengal, Siberian, Royal White Bengal and Golden Tabby tigers playing in their own outdoor environment.

T.I.G.E.R.S. and the R.S.F. (Rare Species Fund) are based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and operate four public education exhibits; Two "Preservation Stations" in Myrtle Beach, SC, "Wild Encounters" located at Jungle Island in Miami, FL as well as yearly productions in the Boston, MA area of the highly acclaimed show "The Tale of the Tiger".

At our Preservation Stations, the wildlife ambassadors; the great apes, big cats, elephant and a stunning group of other highly interactive animal ambassadors, offer our guests a collection of experiences that can be life changing. While at the preserves, the participants senses are awakened to a whole new world; feeling the leathery hide of our elephant, the soft touch of a lynx, the sweet smell of a binturong and the heart pounding sound of tigers running at 55 miles per hour. Our visitors see animals they know and love displaying their spectacular natural talents and have encounters with new ones they never even knew existed. During these encounters our guests connect with wildlife in a very intimate way which personally involves them in the lives of these amazing animals. They then walk away into the world with a desire to save these creatures and help preserve their environments.

For more information, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

Good afternoon once again from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  In case you have never read this blog, here are some facts about this Myrtle Beach Attraction:

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. Our animal ambassadors are important living examples of current worldwide environmental issues, helping us teach people about the importance of conservation and global biodiversity. T.I.G.E.R.S. also works closely with international wildlife conservation projects in Africa and Thailand. In addition to providing much needed funds for these programs, our personnel have been involved in field research as well. Our TIGERS Preservation Stations help make all of this possible as we entertain and educate the public about the importance of wildlife and our environment.

T.I.G.E.R.S. (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species) is home to some of the world’s most famous animal actors, stars of stage and screen. Here we have one of the most exciting animal adventures ever. This is a new kind of zoo that gives a fresh new look at wild animals living with man. It's a zoo that comes to you.

Dr. Bhagavan "Doc" Antle is the founder and director of T.I.G.E.R.S., The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species and 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. As a young man he had many great opportunities to travel and explore the world and this eventually brought him to China where he studied for and received his Doctoral degree in medicine. He then interned as a traveling Doctor throughout many villages in mainland China and other parts of Asia. He returned to the United States in the early 80's and located in Buckingham, Virginia, where he co-created and ran Integral Health Services; an alternative drugless therapy clinic utilizing meditation, diet and exercise programs.

In 1982, the clinic was visited by a zoo director who introduced Doc to a Siberian tiger cub. He was so amazed by the presence of the tiger that he asked if he might use it at the end of one of his lectures, to demonstrate how even the most powerful animals were greatly affected by their environment. The presentation was a great success and after it was over an impressed audience member introduced himself as the local head of Exxon Oil. He asked Doc if he would present the tiger and his message of the dangers of environmental damage at an upcoming Exxon Convention. Needless to say, they were blown away and an amazing partnership was born between Doc Antle and the big cats of the world. T.I.G.E.R.S. was soon created as a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with informative, educational, and entertaining interactive programs. It's animal ambassadors are important living examples of current worldwide environmental issues, helping to educate the world about the importance of conservation and global biodiversity. 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.

For more information, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

Good Friday from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach, SC!!!  The staff would like to wish every one a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!  I hope you enjoy the posts and comments you read here.  I have written about the animals; tigers, ligers, panthers, orangutans, and other exotic animals.  I've also kept you up to date on the Director, Dr. Bhagavan Antle and the T.I.G.E.R.S. staff and their efforts and dedication to  global conservation. 

Now read below what others are saying:

"T.I.G.E.R.S. was probably the most amazing experience I have had in my entire life.  
My husband and I took the VIP tour of the facility, where we got to cuddle with baby tigers, chimpanzees, gibbons, and oragantans.  It was really awesome to meet the 900 lb liger and see the adult tigers run at top speed!  We got to spend some time with Bubbles the elephant who, I learned, is the only African elephant in North America who has contact with the public.  We got to feed her carrots and watch her eat a whole watermelon!  

When you come here, you will definately want to order the photo CD and the DVD.  These are memories you will want to show off for years to come.  Also, the money you spend goes to benefit the animals, both here in the facility and in the wild.  You can feel good knowing you helped, while also having the time of your life!" - Bethany, Boston, MA

"I couldn't believe we actually got to touch these animals. One of my favorite parts of our visit to Myrtle Beach. Will be back when the kids are old enough to understand. Loved this enough to talk about it, definitely worth a try!"  - Brenda, Hendersonville, NC

"Have you ever wanted to pet or feed a tiger? Have a wolf howl at your feet. Meet an orangatang or feed an elephant? I have and now I have done all of these things! I have also witnessed how dedicated and caring the staff are. They are true animal advocates. I will be back. I would have paid more to be honest. It was that exciting. Thank you Dr Bhagavan Antle and your staff for this experience and education." - Cheryl, Enola, PA

"WOW!!! That starts to sum it up. You can have a real Bengal cub sit across your laps and have a photo with one of these beautiful cats. If you listen, it's clear that the preserve takes great care of their animals. We would love to be able to go back for a close up 3 hour tour"  - Jack, Rock Hill, SC

Take the tour of T.I.G.E.R.S. preserve where you will connect with wildlife in a very intimate way and involve yourself personally in the lives of these amazing animals. Then walk away into the world with a desire to save these creatures and help preserve their environments.

Please visit, support and join T.I.G.E.R.S. and the R.S.F in their worldwide education and conservation efforts.  For more info, go to myrtlebeachsafari.com and rarespeciesfund.org.
 

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 afternoon, welcome to T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach.  This one of a kind animal preserve has just opened for the 2013 season!. The 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!

While watching TV last night, something caught my attention; that Gray Wolves once occupied a larger territory than any other land mammal, except humans. Sadly today, wolves are almost extinct due to people hunting and killing them; and some vanishing as the great forests and grasslands are made into farms, highways, and cities.

Want to see a Wolf in Myrtle Beach?  Read futher:

In the wild, a chance meeting between a wolf and a tiger would not be this adorable. But, seeing as they were friends since being two weeks old, these litters of wolves and tigers share a unique bond.
Separated from their mothers to insure their survival, they are beginning their journey as animal ambassadors at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species - conveniently abbreviated to 'Tigers'.
The young timber wolves and Bengal tigers seem unaware that they are supposed to be sworn enemies as they play for the cameras in their South Carolina home.

Now aged three months, and sharing the same bottles of milk formula, the 25lb wolf cubs are twice the weight of their tiger bedfellows.
The founder of Tigers, Doc Bhagavan, said: 'At the moment the tigers will have a size and weight disadvantage to their canine friends.
'So that means that the wolves are a bit pushy with their tiger pals in their shared environment.

However, as I am sure you will have guessed, even though the wolves are bigger at three months, after another five months it will be the tigers who will be able to push the wolves around.'
After one year the tiger cubs will be expected to weigh around 250lb compared to the year-old wolves at 180lb.
Mr Bhagavan said: 'Even though they will have spent eight months together, after that time they will have to be separated. The size difference and species difference will become apparent.'

Animal experts in the South Carolina sanctuary decided to place the two unlikely groups of friends together to better aid their interaction with humans.
Mr Bhagavan said: 'They bonded so well and have become very used to one another.
'The wolves are a bit bolder than the tigers at the moment, nibbling their ears and playing a bit rougher, but that will change as the tigers grow older and larger.
'We surround the tigers with cuddly toys so that they can make a nest, and the wolves are always trying to invade and share that space with the tigers.
'It is heart-warming to watch them now and to think that in a few months time that they will no longer be near to each other. It is quite sad, but they will enjoy their time together.' - www.dailymail.co.uk

Make a difference! Do something good today! Join us, Support us or Contact us today and see how you can become a part of the oldest, premiere private Feline Conservation Organization in the world!
 
If you want to join Doc Antle and T.I.G.E.R.S. in conservation, visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information on how you can help.

Hello again from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  Some say opposites attract but what about an orangutan being friends with a dog?  Is it even possible?  With Suryia and Roscoe it is!

When Suryia the orangutan first met Roscoe, a stray dog, they become best friends from the start.  The two became friends when they crossed paths at T.I.G.E.R.S. Preserve.  The blue tick hound was immediately spotted by the orangutan who ambled over to make friends.

Founder and Director, Doc Antle said: 'Roscoe looked really thin and a little lost so we fed him and took care of him; 'He followed us through the gate and ran over and found Suryia. As soon as he saw Roscoe, Suryia ran over to him and they started playing. It was unusual because dogs are usually scared of primates but they took to each other straight away. We made a few calls to see if he belonged to anyone and when no-one came forward, Roscoe ended up staying. Now they swim together, play together and Suryia even takes the dog for his walks.

Sounds amazing!  here's a news item from just this week about other animal friends."

From abcnews.go.com
At Noah’s Ark, a wild-animal rescue center in Georgia, the “BLT” are an unlikely trio that even “Oz’s” Dorothy would find hard to fear.

“It’s a lion, a tiger and a bear — oh my!” said Allison Hedgecoth of Noah’s Ark. “They live together and they don’t see their differences. They don’t see their color differences.”

In a small pen, Baloo (an American black bear), Leo (the lion) and Shere Kahn (a Bengal tiger) cuddle, play ball, chase each other around, eat cookies daily and seem to have forged a friendship for life.

“It’s kind of unusual because black bears and tigers would be solitary as adults,” said Rebecca Snyder, a curator of animals at Atlanta’s zoo.

The three predators were rescued as cubs 12 years ago from drug dealers who’d abused and neglected them.

“All of them had issues,” Hedgecoth said. “Leo, the lion, had a big raw spot on his nose. Baloo, the bear, had an ingrown harness where his owners hadn’t lengthened it as he grew, so it actually grew into the skin and it had to be surgically removed. … They have recovered more than 100 percent.”

But when trainers tried to separate the animals, they acted out. For years, trainers said they worried and waited for fights but had witnessed nothing but peace among the three.

Hedgecoth said she didn’t know how the trio had managed to get along together so well and for so long.
 

“I think that the ordeal they went through as youngsters really bonded them together,” she told ABC News. “That’s all that they had. They only had each other for comfort.”

She said separating them now, after more than a decade together, would be “cruel.”

“There definitely is something special going on between the three of them,” she said. “That is definitely a lesson.”

Guests also enjoy wondrous experiences which live on for a lifetime in the hundreds of individual and group high end professional photographs and video we take of them on this once in a lifetime journey. They leave Preservation Station with images that only a few privileged photographers and explorers on safari have captured after years of travel; a tiger or cheetah running at full speed or swimming across a clear pool, the great apes sliding through the canopy or a large tusked elephant just a breath away. You can tell from their pictures and the letters they send us how it has changed them. This experience happens every day.

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

Good afternoon from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach.  I hope you had a nice Easter Holiday and are enjoying Spring Break!!!  Are you looking for something "different" to do this weekend?  I urge you to visit T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation at Barefoot Landing or take the T.I.G.E.R.S. Wild Encounters Tour, located south of Myrtle Beach.  

T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach is a free living tiger exhibit. It is the fund raising effort for the rarest tiger on Earth, the Golden Tabby tiger. Here is your chance to see the World's Rarest Tigers, up-close and un-caged for FREE.

The Wild Encounters Tour is a guided walk through a fifty acre preserve, where you'll meet tigers, wolves, leopards, chimpanzees, orangutans, and other endangered species, many of them up-close and un-caged!

How much do you know about Tigers?

Pregnancy in the tiger:

Pregnancy in tigers is not obvious to the eye for the first two and half months, but in the last 10-12 days becomes detectable by the bulging abdominal area.

During the later part of pregnancy a wild tigress is particularly vulnerable to attack and starvation. Unlike the lioness, the tigress has no one to help hunt for food and evolution has helped overcome her vulnerabilities by making the duration of pregnancy brief.
Tiger gestation:

The gestation period for tigers is 100 days, but ranges from 93 to 111 days. After this time she will give birth to a litter of between 1 and 7 blind cubs, the norm being 2 to 4.

In two extreme cases 7 cubs were recorded as being born in captivity, while a tigress was sighted in the wild with 5 cubs, all of similar age; these may well be record births.


Preparation for birth:

Wild females give birth once every 2 to 2.5 years. The interval between births is approximately three to four years, though should a litter of newborns die, a tigress is quite capable of producing another litter within only five months.

The cubs will be born in an area of heavy cover; this may be a cave, long grass, thick bushes, an overhanging rock, or a hollow log. Anywhere that won't flood, provides protection, shelter and a good degree of concealment will suit the purpose.  - Source: www.lairweb.org
 

Whether it's this weekend or later on, I urge you to visit both of these Myrtle Beach Attractions.  All proceeds from Preservation Station and the TIGERS Tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.  For more info, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

Good Friday from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!  If you love animals and you're looking to make memories that you will cherish for a lifetime, you need to visit T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach.

Preservation Station at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach is a free living tiger exhibit. It is the fund raising effort for the rarest tiger on Earth, the Golden Tabby tiger. It's your chance to see the World's Rarest Tigers, up-close and un-caged for FREE. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Come visit T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station and see these animals playing and relaxing in an outdoor environment. You will see Bengal tigers, Siberian tigers, Royal White Bengal tigers and the rarest tiger in the world, the Golden Tabby tiger.

T.I.G.E.R.S. (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species) is home to some of the world’s most famous animal actors, stars of stage and screen. This is one of the most exciting animal adventures ever.  It's is a new kind of zoo that gives a fresh new look at wild animals living with man. It's a zoo that comes to you.

Read what other visitors say about T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station:

"A once in a life time experience. Call ahead. You don't want to miss this, you get up close and personal." K. Fields 3/7/13


"Great place to see and learn about tigers. If you have the time made a reservation to tour their facility near by. It was an amazing experience that I look forward to doing again. Only place to see a tiger run without being behind glass or a fence. Interaction with the other animals and cubs was priceless!" - K. Friedel 2/8/13


“Ok so obviously I am really into animals and have always dreamed about holding the most amazing creatures in the world in my hands. My girlfriend ... no so much. I made her come here with me and her views have changed. This was by far my favorite thing I have ever done and will DEFINITELY be coming back. If you are considering doing this and reading reviews ... read no further. If you do not do this you will miss out on the most intimate animal experience you will ever have. Staff was amazing, accommodating, and a pleasure to be around. I would give this 100000000 stars if there were room! I LOVE THIS PLACE” - J Riden 1/17/13

"A phenomenal place to visit!!!  Thanks" - A Michel; 1/31/13

Make a cherished memory.  Guests at T.I.G.E.R.S. and Preservation Station make wondrous experiences live on for a lifetime in the hundreds of individual and group high end professional photographs and video we take of them on this once in a lifetime journey. They leave Preservation Station with images that only a few privileged photographers and explorers on safari have captured after years of travel; a tiger or cheetah running at full speed or swimming across a clear pool, the great apes sliding through the canopy or a large tusked elephant just a breath away. You can tell from their pictures and the letters they send us how it has changed them.

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.You have seen some of these animals in great films such as Ace Ventura, Forrest Gump, Dr. Dolittle, Mighty Joe Young and many others.

For more information, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.

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 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. and Preservation Station in Myrtle Beach.  

Some think it's too risky to get close to wild animals, but the handlers at  T.I.G.E.R.S. have been with these animals since they were cubs and have developed a special friendship based on love and respect.  Dr. Antle and his staff have actually helped the mothers deliver many of the cubs at the Preserve.  T.I.G.E.R.S. has a proven method of training these animals: Never treat them as pets, lots of tender loving care, and thousands of hours of one-on-one handling; we even live with the animals 24 hours a day.  

What's the fastest animal on earth?  The cheetah can run faster than any other land animal— as fast as 65 mph.  Did you know their ability to accelerate from 0 to 6 mph is five seconds.  Enjoy this tidbit I discovered this morning:

The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF)--a conservation nonprofit based in Namibia--is trying to stop the cheetahs’ path to extinction using innovative conservation methods that don’t just focus on bleeding heart ideas of saving the cheetah. Instead, it’s finding methods that are good for cheetahs, good for the farmers, good for the communities, and good for the economy.  

The CCF has started a model farm program, to teach farmers how to operate in coexistence with predators. It’s also breeding and placing dogs with farmers, to helps protect their flocks from being eaten by wild animals. Through CCF’s program, the livestock survival rate--from all predators like hyenas, leopards, and jackals---has risen to 80%.

Second, the CCF rehabilitates the cheetah’s habitat. The bush has started to encroach on the open fields on which cheetahs like to hunt. The overgrowth is also a problem for Namibian farmers. So CCF has invented what it calls BushBlok--essentially a Duraflame log made from cleared brush--which it gives to farmers as a clean energy source (the project has received attention from the Clinton Global Initiative). The country has over 100 million tons of bush that needs to be cleared, and CCF hopes a wider roll out of the Bushblok initiative will help that problem, as well as create jobs for locals and more habitat for cheetahs.

By reintroducing the cats into the wild, CCF takes them back to their rightful homes. While CCF does have resident cheetahs who will be cared for their entire adult lives, these cheetahs become education ambassadors for tourists and serve to help study cheetah behavior and genetics.

The CCF’s goal is to rehabilitate the cheetah so that it’s no longer in danger of extinction, though it’s going to need much more awareness and government support before that happens.  

Go online and visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com for more information about the Rare Species Fund, the tour and Tigers Preserve. All proceeds from the tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

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 day from T.I.G.E.R.S. in Myrtle Beach!    T.I.G.E.R.S. is a Sanctuary and Rescue facility for big cats, much like an animal shelter for dogs and house cats. Based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina there are two exhibits; "Preservation Station" at Barefoot Landing and the 50 Acre preserve located just south of Myrtle Beach.

Tours run 3-5 days a week from March through October 6.

As I was searching for blog content today, I found the following article on Geoffroy's cats that I would like to share:  
 
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Geoffroy’s cats are one of the smallest wildcats on earth. Average weight ranges from 4 to 8 pounds.  

Other names for the Geoffroy's cat are Geoffroy's ocelot and gato montes (mountain cat). The feline was named after the French naturalist Geoffroy St. Hilaire.

Habitat: The Geoffroy's cat is a rugged feline. It has survived in some of the most formidable terrains. At 10,000 feet on the Antiplano in Bolivia, a barren windswept plateau of salt flats to the "Green Hell", a vast central lowland area along the eastern slope of the Andes of northwest Argentina. It can survive and thrive in the hottest temperatures in all South America. The Geoffroy's cat is the only shorthaired cat that can thrive so far from the equator. From the heat of the "Green Hell" to powerful cold winds and never ending dry prairies with continuous dust storms in the Patagonia area of southern Argentina, a vast, sparse region inhabited by hardy Aboriginal Indians, you guessed it . . . you'll find the Geoffroy's cat.

Behavior: If adaptability is the key to survival in this ever-changing environment, this little feline may out survive all other cats in the wild! Reported to be nocturnal, the Geoffroy's cat will hunt mainly rodents and birds. He will utilize both trees and open land for hunting. Mainly terrestrial, he will use any available cover to hunt, avoiding open spaces, moving from rock or bush when possible.

It has been reported, as a pet, the Geoffroy's cat will avoid crossing an open room, preferring a serpentine movement from one chair to another, until he reaches the other side of the room.

Appearance: Geoffroy's cats obey basic rules of wild animal genetics. The large cats are from the southern quarter of Argentina. They have longer coats that are waterproof (like seals), and the undercoat is dense. This coat helps to conserve body heat. The smallest cats are from Paraguay. Here the coat is shorter and is coarse and lies close to the body to help keep the body cooler in the heat near the equator.

The coat color also changes with geography. Coat color ranges from silver-gray through ocher-yellow to brownish-yellow. All cats are covered with back spots of nearly equal size placed at equal distance from one another. Some cats have markings on shoulders and flanks which tend to form rosettes and wavy lines. The head is streaked and spotted. The tail is spotted and ringed with a white spot at the tip.

Like many wild cats, the ears of a Geoffroy’s cat have the white spot behind. The paw pads are usually dark, the nose a brick red and eye color that ranges from clear gold to amber. This species is usually 18 to 27 inches long with an average size of 23 inches. Tail length average is 14 inches. As previously stated, weight ranges from 4 to 8 pounds. Some males may weight up to 12 pounds, and females are about 6 pounds.

Reproduction: Litters consist of usually two to three kittens. The kittens are born with lush undercoats that are fully spotted. Sexual maturity is at about 1 1/2 years. Geoffroy's cat has been reported to breed easily in captivity. Although disagreement exists in the breeding with domestics, some breeders have reported enough unrelated bloodlines to maintain genetic vigor.

Status: CITES (Convention of Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna) enacted in 1974; an agreement between nations to regulate trade of endangered species, classified the Geoffroy's cat as APPENDIX I, which means trade is strictly regulated, but is still allowed.
The Geoffroy's cat's greatest threat is from human disturbance of habitat and over harvest for the fur trade. The little cat has few predators in the wild.  From www.felineconservation.org

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The staff at T.I.G.E.R.S. hopes that by creating this tour, the public will gain a new understanding and awareness of these and other endangered species. And hopefully help save them and the wild places that they live before they are lost to this world forever.  All proceeds from the tour go to The Rare Species Fund and The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species.

For more information on the tour in Myrtle Beach, please visit www.myrtlebeachsafari.com.