Collection: Luna

Arrival Date: January 15, 2020

Rescue Story:  Luna and Remington, along with cubs Rory and Rajah, began their lives at a Florida roadside attraction where they were forced to swim with paying humans in harshly chlorinated pools all day in a ‘swim with the tigers’ entertainment scam. The cubs struggled to keep their heads above water for hours at a time, with little rest between sessions, netting profits for the owners. Then, a 2016 PETA lawsuit charged the facility with several violations of the Federal Endangered Species Act (prematurely separating tiger cubs from their mothers, forcing them into public encounters, and warehousing them in cramped cages), prompting a court-ordered site inspection. All four cubs were scheduled to come to Turpentine Creek, but appeals continually delayed their rescue. Sadly, for Rory and Rajah, the court ruling came too late. Reportedly, due to storm damage, they escaped their enclosures and were killed. They were not the only victims of this attempt to hide evidence; 19 other tigers were shipped off to Oklahoma in an inadequately ventilated trailer. Three cubs born during the transport overheated and did not survive the trip.   Thankfully, in January the call came: Luna and Remington’s 30-month wait was finally over! Our team, moved into action, working closely with PETA and Forest Animal Rescue (FAR), to pick them up. FAR team members assisted us in moving the cats into our transport cages, and we brought the pair home.

More about Luna: Luna is by far to most interactive cat at the refuge, stalking people any chance she gets.  She loves running all around her habitat and has a tremendous amount of energy.