The Zoo

I worked at Flag Acres Zoo (a private zoo) officially from 2002-2007 but helped them after they closed until 2008. The owners wanted to retire so they either auctioned off the animals or found good homes for them.

A note about my favorites:

Thunder & Rayn (Tigers), Zambo & Santania (Leopards) went to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Eureka Springs, AR. In 2008, they called us wanting our leopards because they were advertised in an animal publication, and we asked that they take the two tigers, too. They agreed. The sanctuary was ignorant and put the leopards together after arriving back in AR and subsequently Sandy birthed Spyke! However, they claim she was already pregnant, not wanting to disclose their poor judgement. (I have emails) Sandy and Zambo were in separate cages at the zoo because she had given birth in February 2008. We have records and photos. I suppose they want to look superior. NOW their latest lie is that Flag Acres lost their license due to poor animal husbandry which is totally incorrect. We never had any problems with our inspections. It’s so funny. Every article they write on the four animals over the year painted a different picture. The owners wanted to retire and running a zoo is expensive, point blank. If Turpentine looks good, then they get more donations, but spouting lies to gain sympathy & support has a way of coming back to bite you. Careful TCWR, Karma is a bitch. Spyke is so beautiful, one cannot call him a mistake. By the way, a true sanctuary isn’t open to the public. They are actually a zoo calling themselves a sanctuary. Big cats are on exhibit and viewed by the public for a fee. Yep, a zoo. The USDA doesn’t distinguish a zoo from a sanctuary. Santania died January 2015 of liver cancer and Zambo died March 2016 of renal failure. 17 years (both of them) is a good life and they had a beautiful, spacious grassy enclosure with lots of enrichment. Thunder passed 1/31/2021 with chronic kidney disease at 17 years of age. In spite of them bad-mouthing the zoo, I have sent them donations over the years, but that will cease once Rayn passes.

Mae-Ling (Binturong) went to a small zoo called Claws n Paws in PA . They had our cougar Mandy and fennec foxes, too.

Jasmine (Jaguar) is at Space Farms Zoo and Museum in NJ (still 2023). This is a great family zoo & museum. I went to visit Jasmine after a two year period and she actually responded to my voice. She became excited by rubbing her face along the fence, stood up poking her face through a hole and rolled over on her back. So, it’s true, big cats have a good memory.

Our lions Simba & Sabu & cougars Amos & Kya went? The animal broker who handled the move will not disclose where he delivered them. This is so upsetting since I hand-reared the cougar & spent countless hours caring for all of them. I hope wherever they went they are being cared for properly, responsibly and lovingly.

The zoo’s two remaining “old-timers” Bud, a 21yr American Black Bear and Sasha, a 20yr Siberian Tiger were laid to rest in Sept. 2009 due to declining health. I’m grateful I was allowed to care for and learn about such magnificent creatures.

Here are some photos of our zoo animals. More will be added as I have time.