Kimba's Story

Originally, Kimba was rescued from the Hermanos Ponce Circus in Guatemala by Animal Defenders International (ADI), a renowned animal welfare organization. In April 2018, ADI helped pass a new law banning the use of animals in circuses in Guatemala. Furthermore, due to the copious amounts of defiant circuses, the Guatemalan government invited ADI to help enforce this new law. Since tigers are considered endangered, an accredited Florida facility was required to apply for an import permit. The facility filed for the permit in August 2018 with the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS).
Throughout the 15 months of waiting for approval from the USFWS and Guatemalan authorities, the Florida facility’s supporters rallied together to fund the care of the three tigers at a temporary ADI holding facility in Guatemala. In November 2019, Kimba and two other tigers—Simba and Max—arrived in Miami, FL, on a cargo plane. The Florida team arrived in Miami with their transport trailer, which completed the three tigers’ journey to Florida.

In early 2023, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) agreed to take 33 wild cats from the Florida sanctuary, accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). One of these animals was Kimba. Due to Kimba’s past, his transformation story is still ongoing, but his new animal caretaking team at TCWR is now mending the trust that humans had once broken. As a shy cat, Kimba spends most of his time observing his surroundings, accompanied by long afternoon naps. He is food-motivated, coming out of hiding when his keepers visit him to deliver his meds. His favorite enrichment items are cardboard boxes and scents. He will destroy the boxes and then roll around on them, licking up the perfume.