Luna's Story

Luna earned her freedom in 2020 when Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) received confirmation from the court system to rescue this tigress from the horrors she endured in cub petting. Authorities confiscated Luna and her brother Remington – who passed away in 2022 – from a Dade City, Florida, attraction where guests paid for the opportunity to swim with her. In 2016, PETA filed a lawsuit alleging that Dade City violated the Endangered Species Act. It cited that the tigers at the facility were being housed in small cages and prematurely separated from their mothers. In 2017, the court ordered an inspection of the facility; the owners sent 19 of their tigers to Oklahoma and four, including Luna and her brother, to a facility in Florida. Unfortunately, two of the tigers escaped during a storm and were killed. In January 2020, the call came: Luna and her brother’s 30-month wait was finally over.

Despite endless exploitation in her cubhood, Luna’s playful personality has emerged in sanctuary life. She loves stalking her neighbors and keepers and observing everything surrounding her habitat. She loves engaging with her toys, especially with different enrichment items. Sadly, in recent years, we discovered through x-rays that Luna has degeneration of her hip joint, resulting in a pinched nerve. The imaging also revealed a plate was surgically implanted in her opposite knee, dating back to the horrors she endured at Dade City. Now, Luna is on TCWR’s Pain Management Program, which includes additional supplements added to her raw meat diet to help with everyday mobility and comfort. Luna never truly got to live out her adolescent years and is making up for lost time on her terms.