News Archives | Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge’s Mission Beyond the Refuge

At Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR), our mission extends far beyond the care and refuge for wild animals—it reaches into the heart of our local community. We believe that a strong connection with our neighbors isn’t just valuable, it’s vital. One of the clearest examples of this belief in action is seen in the work […]

June 25, 2025 View Article

Because of You, Our Mission Has Entered a Bold New Phase

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is expanding its mission beyond big cats to rescue all captive wild animals. Learn how your support is driving real change. You Helped Us Rescue Big Cats—Now We’re Saving Even More Wildlife For over three decades, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge has been a safe haven for rescued big cats—tigers, lions, leopards, […]

June 19, 2025 View Article

What GFAS Accreditation Means—and Why It Matters

In 2016, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge earned full accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS)—the only organization offering a rigorous, international accreditation program exclusively for animal sanctuaries. Since then, we’ve proudly maintained our status as a GFAS-accredited sanctuary. We undergo a comprehensive and demanding renewal process every three years to ensure we meet […]

June 17, 2025 View Article

Storm Warning

Fallen Trees & Safety Two trees fell in Tigger and Floyd’s habitat Friday after a sudden storm blew through. Amid stinging rain and gusting winds, a radio call went out regarding the incident. Thankfully, there was no harm done to our animal residents nor was there a risk of an escape. Animal Care Team […]

April 15, 2021 View Article

Summer Fun Days

Educational Days for Kids at TCWR June 4, 2019 For the second year in a row, Turpentine Creek is excited to announce that we are hosting kids day camps in June. Our 9 to 12-year-old camp is full, but we still have plenty of spots open for our 6 to 8-year-old camp on June 12-14th! […]

June 4, 2019 View Article

Two Bobcats Rescue

Flooding in Arkansas Displaces Bobcats May 29, 2019 Record flooding on the Arkansas River has destroyed houses and businesses in west central Arkansas. Many humans have lost their livelihood in only a few short days because of heavy rainfall in Arkansas and Oklahoma. But humans are not the only victims of these storms. On May […]

May 29, 2019 View Article

Several Servals Celebrate Construction Completion

And YOU are invited! May 15, 2019 This is your purr-sonal invitation to join us Wednesday, June 12, at 9:45 AM for the grand opening of our new serval habitat. The project was made possible by the Roop family. The Refuge opens at 9 AM, and we encourage you to arrive no later than 9:30 […]

May 15, 2019 View Article

DJ and T Grant

DJ & T Foundation Awards Grant $100,000 Grant for Animal Medical Needs April 30, 2019 Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the DJ & T Foundation. The funds will be used for the sanctuary’s veterinary care program. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge will celebrate their 27th year in existence May […]

April 30, 2019 View Article

Life-Saving Surgery Update

Blackfire Recovering Comfortably November 7, 2018 Blackfire is on the road to recovery after receiving life-saving emergency surgery at Kansas State University on Tuesday, November 6. The 2-year-old white tiger is currently staying in a recovery enclosure at our on-site veterinary hospital. He will spend two weeks there healing, receiving much-needed pain medication, and being closely […]

November 7, 2018 View Article

Ethical Tourism Destination

Creating a Better World One Vacation at a Time August 20, 2018 Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is hard at work to change the lives of not only our animals but our visitors! Changing the mindset and helping people make ethical choices when planning their vacation starts right here. Before most people plan a vacation, they […]

August 20, 2018 View Article