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Carole Baskin has shared photos of a tiger playing with and attacking Christmas presents at her sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue.
The big cats living at the sanctuary, in Tampa, Florida, are given treats such as this at Christmas every year. The tiger in the photos, named Dutchess, investigates a bundle of Christmas gifts and a Christmas tree. The tiger can be seen pouncing on a gift in one of the photos.
Baskin, who is the CEO of the sanctuary well known for appearing in the 2020 Netflix true crime documentary Tiger King, told Newsweek in an email that these Christmas "enrichments" are usually empty but may have perfumes sprayed onto them, or spices, as "cats really like those smells."
"We do seasonal enrichment and other forms of enrichment year-round, because cats are so smart and are bored out of their minds being locked in cages."
Dutchess came to Big Cat Rescue after being seized by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. She was temporarily housed at the sanctuary while the court proceedings took place, which took four years. She was then permanently signed over to Big Cat Rescue where she remains to this day.
Dutchess is a particularly photogenic tiger, Big Cat Rescue says on its website, and will often pose for photos.
A Big Cat Rescue spokesperson told Newsweek that all big cats at the rescue get enrichments like every year this during December, and all have spices or perfume sprayed on them.
"Each cat likes different scents, so the items are based on what each individual prefers. The trees do not get scented because the pine smell is all they need. We offer three types of enrichment: permanent, daily, and seasonal," the spokesperson said.
Enrichment such as this is "extremely important" for animals living in captivity as it stimulates them mentally and physically.
Big Cat Rescue, and Baskin, have been in the public eye since the release of Netflix's 2020 documentary, which explored the world of big cat breeding and its culture.
The documentary followed the story of Joe Exotic, who was convicted of hiring someone to murder Baskin, who he saw as his rival.
Baskin has publicly spoken out about her disappointment in the documentary, and claimed that it was sensationalist.
Since then, Baskin continues to work at Big Cat Rescue, promoting its work. The sanctuary opened in 1992, is currently closed to the general public, but continues to look after its resident cats. Most cats living at the sanctuary were abused or abandoned.
The sanctuary campaigns to end the exotic pet trade, where big cats are used as pets.
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About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more