Anna Tank, Author at The Big Cat Sanctuary

On 6th April 2021 at The Big Cat Sanctuary, resident jaguars Keira and Neron became parents to a female rare black jaguar cub. They were paired through the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme. After two years of being together and their relationship growing, the pair successfully had a female black jaguar cub. Breeding is one of the Sanctuary’s four pillars of ethos, along with Welfare, Education and Conservation.

We held a competition for supporters to vote to name their new arrival. They had three names for people to choose from. Inti, which means Sunshine in Quechuan, Killari which means Moonlight in Quechuan, or Inka, named after the ancient South American tribe and means Princess in Quechuan.   We are so proud to announce that INKA was the winner!

The competition has helped the charity to raise money to care for Inka and all the jaguars on site. It has also raised vital funds for Jaguar conservation, with £10,000, being donated to jaguar protection projects run by Namá Conservation in Costa Rica, who are continuing the work of Universidad de Costa Rica.

Now 4 months old, adorable little Inka received both of her vaccinations, which meant she was able to explore the outdoors for the first time! As the hatch opened, her inquisitive little head poked out from behind; curious to see what was there. Keira gave her an encouraging nudge to assure her everything was safe. There was a lot to take in, but mum was there by her side every step of the way.

Before we knew it, Inka began to explore her new home. She wandered around, smelling everything, and taking in her new surroundings. In no time at all, Keira and Inka began playing together, chasing each other around and jumping on one another. Inka even made her way onto the top of the tree platform all by herself!  Mum, Keira has been so patient whilst Inka has been growing and becoming feistier by the day. She has definitely won the ‘Mum of the Year’ award.

We are so excited to watch this little girl grow day by day and become part of the cat ambassadors. All our cats represent their wild counterparts and Inka will do an amazing job at representing the very best of the jaguar species.

Take part in one of our amazing animal experiences at The Big Cat Sanctuary including big cat experiences, photography experiences, safari lodges and overnight safari stays, ranger for a day experiences and our big cat afternoon tea with Paul Hollywood. You can also adopt a big cat and help the conservation efforts that support our amazing animals!

We are so excited to announce that our temporary resident jaguars Kumal and Kedera, became grandparents! They are currently holidaying at The Big Cat Sanctuary while our sister charity Paradise Wildlife Park, builds their new bespoke habitat Jaguar Jungle.

Their daughter, Keira, gave birth to a beautiful rare black jaguar at The Big Cat Sanctuary and we could not be proud of these 3 generations of jaguar. Keira was actually born at Paradise Wildlife Park in 2017 and was moved to The Big Cat Sanctuary in 2019 as part of the International Breeding Programme. Here she was paired with the incredible male black jaguar: Neron. The couple immediately stole the hearts of the Sanctuary and the public with their clear love and affection towards each other.

Sanctuary Keepers began to spot signs of pregnancy in Keira around 3-4 weeks before the birth and in just a few months after, Keira became mum to a feisty and playful black jaguar cub. The cub has clearly inherited her father’s melanistic gene, which is a genetic trait that only affects 10% of all wild jaguars. She truly is such a special girl!

Cub is being referred to as ‘baby’ for now as the Sanctuary are leaving it down to their supporters to name this adorable bundle of fluff. For now, cub and Keira will stay in their den as the cub awaits important vaccinations and begins to familiarise herself with the keepers. The Sanctuary remains optimistic that by their August Open Days, the cub will be ready to visit.

Kumal and Kedera are visitor favourites. We are incredibly proud of Kumal and Kedera for starting such a healthy bloodline of captive jaguars. Keira has taken on her mother’s maternal nature as she is often seen grooming, cuddling, and playing about with her cub. However, this lineage is not just crucial for our parks, but also for global conservation efforts. By housing healthy and genetically diverse jaguar species in captivity, we can help ensure the future of their species.

In an ideal world, we would say there would be no need for zoos. However, we live in a world where jaguars’ natural habitat is constantly at threat from negative human impacts, such as mass deforestation, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict. Jaguars are classed by the IUCN as ‘Near Threatened. This means that wild jaguars are declining in their natural habitat and near threatened to extinction.

Good sanctuaries, wildlife parks and zoos in the UK and across the world are there to help educate their public about these threats wildlife face in an attempt to inspire a united front to protect our planet’s species. We hope that Kumal, Kedera, Keira, her cub, and all cats at The Big Cat Sanctuary will spark that joy and wonder that is so important for conservation.

Please welcome Kumal and Kedera’s granddaughter into the world and get excited for all cub updates on our social media.

You can now adopt our beautiful, rare black jaguar cub, along with mum Keira! The adoption will include both individuals in a dual package never before seen at The Big Cat Sanctuary.

This is a perfect opportunity to directly support the welfare of both cub and mother. The funds raised from this adoption pack will directly go into the care and enrichment of this stunning mother and daughter. From inoculations to fresh bedding to food, your donations will ensure the continuation of excellent care for Keira and cub.

Not only will your adoption pack support the welfare of Keira and cub, but it will also help contribute to jaguar conservation projects we partner with. 25% of your donation will go to the frontline of jaguar conservation overseas. These funds are so important as it allows these dedicated teams to continue their amazing work of conserving wild jaguars.

In your adoption pack you will receive:

Certificate of Adoption
Posters
Stickers and fact sheets
A chance to visit the Sanctuary and see mum and cub on one of summer Adopter’s Afternoons

Our jaguar cub still needs a name! You can have your say in naming our gorgeous baby girl through our naming completion! Choose from Inka, Init and Killari and help support our charity.

Our response statement to Carole Baskin:

Carole Baskin from Netflix’s ‘Tiger King’ and organisation the Big Cat Rescue took to social media in an attempt to condemn our latest jaguar cub announcement.

Baskin claimed that our Sanctuary was “shameful” and attacked The Big Cat Sanctuary for the breeding of captive cats. In response to Baskin’s post, the team at The Big Cat Sanctuary composed a reply that highlighted the misconceptions found in her statement.

Unfortunately, Baskin never received our reply as she turned off the comments to the post. As a Sanctuary that values education, we would have gladly entered a dialogue with Baskin with an intention to show how good zoos and sanctuaries actually benefit our wildlife. Please see our response below:

“Hi Carole,

We are proud to be a facility offering sanctuary to some of our resident cats as well as being a breeding centre of excellence.

The Big Cat Sanctuary’s aim is to help provide a future for some of the most endangered and iconic cats on the planet. The aim of the breeding at the Sanctuary is to contribute to accredited international breeding programmes, helping to maintain genetic diversity in a captive population with the ultimate aim to reintroduce them to join their wild counterparts, should it become viable to do so.

Although we are considered a sanctuary in the UK, we are also listed in the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme that allows the safe and healthy breeding of endangered wildlife. Only good and accredited zoos and aquariums are licenced to be in this Programme, as governed by BIAZA, EAZA, and WAZA. These governing bodies and the Breeding Programmes are all run and led by renowned conservationists, scientists, zoologists and vets. They have also approved our Sanctuary to be part of their accredited zoo and aquarium community.

In the case of our most recent cub, wild jaguars are considered ‘near threatened’ by the IUCN Red List due to deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, animal-human conflict and poaching. It is vital to conserve this species within captivity. The IUCN Red List categorises wildlife species dependent on their threat of extinction. We have already raised thousands since announcing the birth to help fund jaguar conservation projects with our partners in Costa Rica.

We are very proud to have contributed to breeding programmes for jaguars, Snow leopards, Amur leopards, Amur tigers, Sumatran tigers and Pallas’s cats. As you know, Amur leopards are the most endangered big cat on the planet. The Big Cat Sanctuary has actively participated in the continuation of this species so that we have a genetically diverse population within captivity. This is so important as the wild Amur leopard populations are rapidly declining and without captive breeding, we would lose this species forever.

We also thought you may be interested to know that cats who are identified as part of the breeding programmes do not technically belong to us, we are merely custodians of these individuals. They are placed with us as a trusted facility to provide the best possible life in captivity as well as supporting the accredited international breeding programmes.

Welfare, breeding, education and conservation are the pillars that uphold The Big Cat Sanctuary. Our keepers provide excellent welfare so that our cats are mentally and physically stimulated in order to replicate as wild behaviour as possible. Ensuring our cats receive excellent care, a varied diet and different sources of enrichment, whilst maintaining a peaceful environment and not compromising the tranquillity of the cats within the sanctuary. With this awareness and education, we can help prevent endangered cats from slipping into extinction.

Just to point out, the big cat featured in your social post does not belong to The Big Cat Sanctuary. The cub in question is a healthy female, who has been doing exceptionally well with her mother. If you would ever like to visit The Big Cat Sanctuary and learn more about our wonderful cats and our dedication to conservation, please do get in touch with us.”

We hope that we can raise some awareness for the vital educational and conservation work the organisations that fall under BIAZA, EAZA and WAZA do on a daily basis.

This week we saw the re-opening of all our indoor areas at The Big cat Sanctuary. It was fantastic to see our guests enjoying the shelter and warmth of Heritage Lodge and sheltered areas.

One of the most impressive features of our restaurant is the fantastic view of the African Lion habitat. You can kick back and relax with delicious food and drink and watch our incredible male African Lion, Kasanga relax in the sun. In recent weeks, we have been developing the habitat so that Kasanga has more platforms to sleep on. One of these is positioned right by the conservatory windows and he is often spotted having an afternoon nap there.

We hope that by providing such unforgettable memories and close encounters with our big cats, we will help raise awareness for the challenges wild cats face. All our cats at the Sanctuary are ambassadors for their wild counterparts who experience the negative impacts of human interaction with the natural environment. Poaching, illegal wildlife trade, mass deforestation, and animal-human conflict, all play a massive role in the decline of wild cat populations. As a wildlife charity that is dedicated to the protection and conservation of cat species, we donate funds to UK and overseas organisations that are working in the field.

For example, we are partners with Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya who own protected land to keep lions and other African species safe from poachers. One of their conservation operations is to GPS collar lion prides. Ol Pejeta Conservancy specialists can then monitor the movement of the pride so they can learn more about an African lion’s behaviour and intervene if necessary. By learning as much as possible about African lions’ natural behaviours, Ol Pejeta Conservancy can then share the latest findings with other organisations, including The Big Cat Sanctuary. From these findings, we can furtherly educate the UK public and improve our knowledge of how we take care of our resident African lions. Moreover, Ol Pejeta Conservancy can also intervene if the wild lions require emergency healthcare or if there is a risk of poachers nearby. Every year, The Big Cat Sanctuary donates funds to Ol Pejeta Conservancy and has even sent out staff to assist in their conservation efforts.

By coming to the Sanctuary, donating to our charity, you are not only helping us achieve our conservation efforts but those across the world.

At The Big cat Sanctuary, we house three snow leopards: Laila, Yarko, and their son Khumbu. On the 27th April, we celebrated Yarko’s 10th birthday! Yarko is the most handsome Snow Leopard ever! This gorgeous boy joined The Big Cat Sanctuary family back in June 2013, having been born at Moscow Zoo a couple of years prior. Yarko is a quiet and gentle character who is more than happy to sit and watch the world go by from high up in his tree. In 2019 he fathered our first ever litter of Snow Leopard cubs, twin boys Koshi (who is now resident at Highlands Wildlife Park as part the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme) and Khumbu. Yarko was very tolerant of the boys’ mischief and when he’d had enough he would simply disappear up into his favourite tree far out of their reach.

To celebrate Yarko’s birthday week, here are 10 snow leopard facts you need to know:

The genus name, Uncia, is derived from the Old French word once, which was originally used for the European lynx. The snow leopard is still occasionally called ounce.
According to Snow Leopard Trust, snow leopards are known for being non-aggressive towards humans. However, we would not condone approaching a snow leopard or any big cat without appropriate safety measures.
Snow leopards have extra large paws so that they do not sink in the snow, which makes up most of their natural habitat.
Due to their hind legs being longer than their front legs, they can launch themselves up to 30ft in their air.
You can often spot a snow leopard wrap themselves up in their tail. This is a natural behaviour to keep them warm in colder climates.
Snow leopards cannot roar due to the physiology of their throats. They tend to communicate through “chuffing” instead.
In captivity, snow leopards are known to live for up to 22 years. In the wild it is more likely they will only live up to 12 years.
There are only up to 6,390 snow leopards left in the wild.
Snow leopards would leave markings on their environment in order to communicate with other snow leopards. These can include scratchings or scent marks.
You can meet our snow leopards at The Big Cat Sanctuary by booking a tour and see the wonderful snow leopard just metres away!

We hope you have learnt something new with us today! Snow Leopards have always been firm favourites with our supporters and we cannot wait to share more memories with you.

The Big Cat Sanctuary is devastated to announce the passing of Keene, the cheetah and Artur, the Amur leopard. Briony Smith, our Head Keeper speaks to our supporters:

“2021 is proving to be an incredibly challenging year so far and I am afraid we have faced more difficult losses in the last week. It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that we have lost another two beloved cats, Keene, one of our cheetahs and Artur, one of our Amur leopards and longest standing residents.

Keene, one of three cheetah brothers, came to us from Paradise Wildlife Park alongside Bajrami and Martin in the summer of 2014. A relaxed and confident cheetah, Keene was an A* student in training sessions. Highly intelligent and engaged with people, he would attentively listen to his trainer Ricky, allowing him to check his heartbeat with a stethoscope or weigh him regularly, all with great patience and a calm, gentle demeanour. This really was how Keene went through life; confidently, attentively and taking everything in his stride.

A fantastic ambassador on cheetah experiences, Keene would often come and join his brother Martin for a few treats and to have his photo taken while the keeper talked to guests about the amazing boys. Guests would learn so much about them, from their conservation and adaptations in the wild to their individual personalities. Often, if Keene did decide to join his brother for this part of the experience, they would both burst into lots of loud purring and blow the guests away with the beautiful noise. He would also make a lot of noise when their favourite treat of fresh liver was delivered to them and although they wouldn’t argue over it, there would be a lot of amusing chirping and vocalising to make sure they each understood in no uncertain terms whose pieces were whose. The rest of the time Keene and his brother could be seen lounging in the sun, or if it was very hot, under the shade of their favourite trees, usually grooming each other to look their finest.

Artur had been part of the BCS family since 2004 when he arrived with his brother Artem from Russia. The two young boys were quite the pair, keeping photography guests on their toes with one posing beautifully to distract everyone while the other patrolled around seeing if there were any unattended photography bags they might be able to reach and claim as their own.

As time went on our dear Artur was destined to become a father. He was paired with the stunningly beautiful but rather feisty Xizi, as part of the European Endangered Species Programme, a job that our lovely mellow Artur hadn’t quite bargained for. She kept him alert! Quite a fiery female normally but so overwhelmed with hormones while she was in season, Xizi could hardly contain herself and she would rush over to him and fall at his feet, him wondering what on earth he was supposed to make of the immediate personality change. This didn’t stop him though and in 2008 two bouncing baby boys were born, the image of their gorgeous father.

Keene’s health and welfare had been being monitored for a few months. He did develop the same bacterial infection that his brother Martin had and so was under close surveillance ever since. Although he was faring better than Martin had, in both health and welfare, we did ultimately have to consider his ongoing quality of life and after trying everything we could to get Keene back to full health, it was becoming clear that we were not going to be able to do this and so the decision was made that it would therefore be kinder to say goodbye. Helicobacter bacteria looks to be something which the cats are born with and unfortunately, cheetahs appear to be particularly sensitive to it. Although in their youth it does not usually cause problems, as the cats age and their general health is not what it once was, the bacteria can have an impact that the cheetahs struggle to recover from. As both Martin and Keene were older, this will certainly have been a contributing factor to their ability to tolerate the bacteria.

Artur’s passing was more sudden. Having been seen to be in some abdominal discomfort on Saturday, Artur was given treatment to make him more comfortable but sadly passed away the following day. A post-mortem was carried out to find out why this could have happened, and it was seen he had likely developed peritonitis following some trauma to his intestines. We can only imagine this has occurred from an incredibly unfortunate stray piece of bone from his meal, a devastating accident. At the amazing age of 18 years old, there is a chance that Artur’s age contributed as well or that there was an underlying condition that may have played a part, as bone is a regular part of their diet both here and in the wild. We are having this thoroughly investigated to try and find an answer and we would like to extend huge thanks to our vet team for their incredible and unwavering support through what has been a particularly hard start to the year.

Although we have had an incredibly difficult beginning to 2021 with losses at a rate we rarely have to face, it is important to remember that each of the animals we have lost has lived long lives with us at the sanctuary and have been at ages where sadly, complications or deteriorating health will begin to play a part. Unfortunately, this is the circle of life and we must remember each and every furry family member and the important role they have played, but also look to the future and all the amazing cats we still have in our care and hopefully a bright future as part of breeding programmes. Although the last part is the most difficult part of looking after animals, it is hugely outweighed by the amazing times we get to spend with our gorgeous cats and it will always be worth every second.”

Thank-you,

Briony and The Big Cat Sanctuary teams.

Heather Small, the voice of the M People, joins The Big Cat Sanctuary in an unforgettable evening of songs, cooking, and conservation. You can join Heather with our Director of Cats and Conservation, Giles Clark, and culinary expert Sara Danesin in a charity evening like no other. An Evening with Heather Small is the latest event to come to The Big Cat Sanctuary so make sure to not miss out!

You can enjoy this incredible evening in the comfort of your own home through the power of Zoom. Not only will you be able to relax at your own pleasure but also cook along with MasterChef Sara, as well as take part in a VIP meet and greet with Heather and our Giles Clark. As the grand finale, we have a personal concert from Heather, as well as a live auction and raffle.

The timetable for the evening:

6.30pm Welcome

6.40pm Meet and Greet with Heather Small and Giles Clark

6.45pm Italian Cookalong with MasterChef Sara Danesin

8.00pm Conversation with Giles, James, Heather

8.05pm Live Auction

8.45pm Heather Small Sings

9.00pm Auction/Raffle winners announced

All funds raised from this event will go back into The Big Cat Sanctuary charity. You will be able to support the cats and teams that make the Sanctuary so special. From food to bedding for the cats, your donation will help keep the welfare of the cats at an excellent standard. Make sure to check out the Evening with Heather Small event page on our website for all info, including prices and what is included. The Big Cat Sanctuary hopes to see our amazing supporters and visitors there!

It has been one of the most challenging and uncertain years our generation has known. It is more important than ever to reflect on the positives this year has given us and look forward to a new year with new opportunities.

Anna Tank, our PR Officer interviews Giles Clark, Environmental Specialist and Director of Cats and Conservation at The Big Cat Sanctuary to share his thoughts on the last year:

What has 2020 meant for The Big Cat Sanctuary?

“2020 has been beyond challenging for everyone. Not just those in our industry, but charities, businesses, project organisations, everyone has been terribly impacted by the pandemic. However, despite this, it has shown just how resilient we are. For us, the resilience of The Big Cat Sanctuary’s staff, volunteers, keepers and supporters has got us where we are today. Although we are perhaps not as strong as we have previously hoped back at the start of 2020, the fact that we have survived is a true testament to everyone who has supported the Sanctuary in one form or another. Our cats have still led a good quality of life; we are still active in all the breeding programmes and we have learnt to adapt to remote working and remote engagement. The majority of events have been online so that we can engage and educate our supporters as much as we can. My thoughts are with those that have been negatively impacted and affected by the pandemic. I know how terrible this year has been to many and I hope the Sanctuary was able to act as a symbol of hope and positivity to some.

What has been your highlight for 2020?

“Oh well, my highlight for 2020 is just seeing how happy and healthy the cats have remained despite what has been going on outside the Sanctuary for them. I am so pleased that again, despite the circumstances, the Sanctuary has been able to continue to support up to 20 national and international wildlife organisation projects and charities that depend on us. Seeing the new Jaguar Breeding Programme be opened by The Royal Highness Princess Eugenie is also a memory I won’t be forgetting in a hurry, that’s for sure.”

What has 2020 taught you professionally and personally?

“It all comes back to resilience. It shows how resilient the human race is. I hope that we can take this resilience and take this united stance we have taken against COVID-19 and apply it to saving the natural world. Sadly, these types of diseases are a product of the way we treat our animals and natural environment and I hope people learn from this and learn to change the way in which we are currently treating our planet. It is staggering how quickly we have brought around a vaccine, which shows just how incredible, intelligent and impactful we are as a species. Now I hope we can bring these qualities and apply them to saving our planet.”

What will your Christmas Day look like for you this year?

“Ah, Christmas Day will look very different for our family this year. I will be staying in my small, but cosy bubble for Christmas Day and enjoy some quality family time. It will also probably centre around my dog Seymour and his Christmas Day walk!”

What are you looking forward to for 2021?

“As I am normally overseas for work or filming a wildlife documentary or helping out on a conservation project, I have started to get itchy feet to get back into the field. Although I have enjoyed being in one spot for more than 2 months at a time, I really want to get back in the project work. I have plans to revisit my work with Free the Bears in Cambodia and also continue supporting the conservation partners we have in Kenya and other parts of Africa. I just hope we can travel safely by then!”

What would you like to say to The Big Cat Sanctuary supporters?

“I just cannot thank you all enough for your continued support. I would like to say a special thank you to our members as without your commitment to the Sanctuary we definitely would not have made it through this year. Members and our supporters have been the Sanctuary’s lifeline. I know my fellow Directors and the Trustees of the Sanctuary would agree with me that we cannot wait to welcome you back next year, where we can hopefully continue with our 2021 open days.”

We are so excited to see what a fresh year brings to The Big Cat Sanctuary. Please do come and see us in the new year if it is safe to do so. We always do our best to keep all our visitors safe on site.