The expansion will add an additional 14 acres of sanctuary and accommodate an additional 44 animals.
EUREKA SPRINGS, AR — Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge hosted a ribbon cutting for Freedom Field. The new area is 14 acres and can house 44 new animals.
Tanya Smith, president of Turpentine Creek, which has rescued cats since 1992, said: “Whenever we first started the sanctuary, we thought there would be about 40 animals. Once people realized we could take in these types of cats, we kept getting animal calls.”
The sanctuary recently adopted more than 30 cats from Carole Baskin's Big Cat Rescue, which was featured on the Netflix show “Tiger King.” The expansion has been in the works for eight years, but Smith said the work was expedited to make room for Baskin's animals.
Smith claims Baskin chose Turpentine Creek for his cats because it is a prime sanctuary.
“Every time they approached us and asked if they could adopt 33 animals if they could help us build this project, it naturally became a priority for our team. ,” Smith said. “This is a very proud moment for our team. Everyone has worked extremely hard to make this happen in a short period of time.”
They completed the project in just over a year. The rescue efforts will not end there, with plans to break ground on a new education center and museum in early 2025.
“This facility will have a state-of-the-art museum on site,” Smith said. “These animals need help, and [for people to know] How do we recognize the issues faced by people in our communities? Many people don't even know that a lion lives in a cage in their neighbor's yard or in their neighbor's basement. ”
Smith said she is most proud of how much her rescue has educated the community.
“This will help people learn when they are not caring for their animals or not registering their animals and how to report these things to authorities so they can do their jobs. “It's very important to educate the public. We're here to protect all wild cats,” Smith said.
If you would like to support Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge or learn more about it, please visit their website.
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