Louisa's Story

Louisa arrived at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) with 33 other animals during the Colorado Project of 2016-2017. TCWR acquired a closing, 12-acre roadside establishment with 115 animals living in deplorable conditions with minimal veterinary care. Due to health issues, the previous owner needed to find a new home for all the animals he had acquired. Many enclosures had access doors made of rotting plywood and a padlock to contain these apex predators. Additionally, they existed on compacted dirt and woodchips with nails, with little shade from the glaring eastern Colorado sun. Our team worked on-site for six months and collaborated with other accredited Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) sanctuaries to transport and provide lifelong refuge to these animals. During this period, TCWR assisted in founding the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance (BCSA) to unite accredited sanctuaries for future rescues and to educate and provide awareness to the public about the plight of the growing wild cat crisis.

Before their rescue, Louisa and her sister Marissa were used for cub petting and arrived at the Refuge at just three months of age. Now fully grown, Louisa enjoys spending her days running the length of her habitat with her sister. She is less active and vocal than her sister and enjoys napping on their multi-level platform bench when she is not tearing through cardboard boxes—her favorite enrichment. Louisa is lighter in color than her sister, Marissa, making it easier to distinguish between the two.