Lion and Tigers and Ligers....OH MY!

I have a lot of blogger friends, go figure, and about a month ago one said "Hey!  We need to go to Tiger World!"  Not gonna lie. I was really hesitant about it.

I am the girl that refuses to go to the circus because of the way animals are treated. I am also the girl that when growing up wanted to be reincarnated as a white Bengal tiger with blue eyes.  I was rather specific.  I love going to zoo though, provided that the animals have adequate living area. But roadside zoos scare me.

So....as you can see I was at a crossroads.  I did TONS of research even enlisting my vegan soon-to-be animal rights lawyer into it.  She called and spoke with them (she didn't tell them her background though) and gave them the thumbs up.

Tiger World is a bit different from a normal "zoo".  They are "one of a handful of accredited zoos in the nation that operates with  no tax support". What that means is the only way they are able to operate is through admissions, memberships, and donations.  They are a nonprofit that is dedicated to rescue, rehab, and preservation of exotic animals. They don't hide "damaged" animals in a back room. They don't ship them off to anywhere. They give them just as much exposure as the others. In fact,the first enclosure you come to even before the admissions desk is two tigers. One of these tigers just has one eye!

It was an easy afternoon drive. They are located about 4 miles off of exit 68 on I-85. It was about a 20 min drive outside of Charlotte heading north.  If you are planning to make a day of it, make sure to eat before you go.  They don't have a food court area. We actually ran up to Concord afterwards and ate there.

All the employees I met walking around were VERY nice and chatted freely with me.  I never said "Hey there! I am a blogger and am going to write about you!"First off, that sounds really lame, you know?  Secondly, in some instances in the past I feel that people knowing this might have made people act a bit different towards me.  I just did my thing and observed.

A few more notes and then some pictures:

• I did go in March, which means the trees/grass/etc isn't the greatest looking.  I think that some of the enclosures would look a LOT nicer once it gets all green again.  
• There are two new enclosures that are being built. One for lions with a waterfall and a fake rock wall. I totally forgot to ask about the other one. oops.
• I had to keep reminding myself that this is a rescue that relies on people visiting for EVERYTHING financial.  Many zoos are "flashier" but I think this had more "heart" if that makes sense.  I think what they do with what they have is great and many of these animals were taken from horrible conditions.
• Last thing.  Probably the only thing that annoyed me.  They sell cups of food for you to feed the animals.  I saw a family (kids AND the father) throwing peanuts and CHEERING when they hit a mandrill (primate) in the face.  You have NO idea how hard it was for me not to rip them a new one.  NO IDEA.  It didn't seem to bother the animals and an employee didn't say anything so I bit my tongue.  The animals were excited to eat the peanuts they picked up off the ground, but seriously people. Use common sense. Do you want me to throw a peanut into your face?  No? Don't do it to them.

Okay...off my soapbox there. Picture time! I LITERALLY had over 20 shots I wanted to share.  I narrowed them down for your viewing pleasure!

Wolves that look MUCH larger in person. This one kept following V. I don't think he liked her very much, or maybe TOO much.  Either way...I was not a fan.

We got there at his lunch time.  He REALLY loved the cantaloupe and sugar snap peas. I wanted to hug him.

Some of the exhibits are super close. This exhibit warned of biting. 

HOW PRETTY IS THIS TIGER? It was literally about a yard away.

So this, ummm,male baboon was raised by a blond lady and was made to wear clothing.  He comes with a pretty long rule list at his cage. Don't provoke him or you will be asked to leave.

I wanna scratch his head.

Lazy days yawning are hard.

When we were there they did "afternoon enrichment"  The boxes were full of paper,snacks,and flowers (also snacks). They loved pulling out  and discovering what was inside.  Side note-this is the guy who got pelted with the peanuts.

There is also a large lake with ducks, geese, and swans-white and black.

We spent about 2 hours there and in that time revisited some exhibits. I think it was a fun afternoon.  Next Saturday they are having an Easter Egg Hunt free with entry.

So glad I was convinced to go and look forward to going back!  Thanks to Tiger World for the complimentary tickets for the family. All thoughts,experiences, and pictures are my own.