Jasmine Magnolia's Story

In October 2018, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge received a phone call from the Dodge City, KS, Wright Park Zoo. The Wright Park Zoo needed to rehome an orange tigress, Jasmine Magnolia, who had been housed with her sister since she was three months old. The cubs were placed at the Wright Park Zoo after a pseudo-sanctuary in Oklahoma could no longer keep them. While the keepers had no issues with Jasmine, she became stressed by crowds and especially frightened of children. When the play between Jasmine and her sister escalated in aggression, the zoo decided to improve her quality of life by placing her in an accredited sanctuary to eliminate different stressors.

We refer to her as Jasmine Magnolia, including a middle name, because she is the second tiger named “Jasmine” to be rescued by the Refuge. Because we knew she did not like large crowds, we placed her in a habitat at Rescue Ridge—an area of the Refuge that is not open to the public. Jasmine’s personality quickly changed as she felt safe and comfortable in her quiet and serene new environment. She can be a very chatty cat to her keepers, and like many tigers at the Refuge, Jasmine enjoys stalking and sneaking up on her neighbors. Stalking is an innate behavior and a key reason big cats are so dangerous, particularly when their target – a person or animal – has their back turned and is unaware of their surroundings. These instinctual behaviors are vital in captivity, as they provide cognitive stimulation for tigers like Jasmine, helping them maintain mental engagement and overall well-being.