Chuff's Story

D.O.J., short for “Department of Justice,” was born at the Refuge after we rescued his mother, Priscilla, from Tiger King Park in Oklahoma. In 2021, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) President Tanya Smith coordinated with the Department of Justice (D.O.J.) and the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance (BCSA) members to facilitate this rescue of 68 big cats. Ten cats came to the Refuge, including D.O.J.’s mother, Priscilla. Within days after her arrival, Priscilla gave birth to 3 cubs: D.O.J., Rosie, and Jinx. All three cubs were born with flexor tendon contracture, a shortening and hardening of the connective tissue in their legs, leaving them unable to walk. Their diagnosis was the first documented case of this condition in tigers. With euthanasia on the table, our team worked for three months to implement our groundbreaking treatment through aggressive physical therapy. TCWR documented their dramatic journey in our documentary called “Uncharted.”

Now a large adult male, D.O.J. and his siblings have fully recovered. Outside the daily rounds of physical therapy, TCWR allowed Priscilla to raise the cubs independently. As a result, D.O.J. and his siblings are incredibly aggressive toward people and have personalities that best reflect wild tigers. Of the three siblings, D.O.J. is the most likely to approach his keepers and greet them with a friendly chuff, saying ‘Hello’ in his unique way. He likes to wait in his night house before feeding, rolling around, and vocalizing with excitement in anticipation of his upcoming meal. He enjoys the toys in their habitat and sharing them and other enrichment items with his siblings. When his keepers provide cardboard boxes, D.O.J. is cautious of them: he gets spooked if they move from the wind. He loves to play at stalking with his neighbors, reveling in his ability to walk and run on his legs.