News Archives | Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

A Season of Firsts for Two Rescued Lion Cubs

This winter marks a milestone at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR): Reggie and Archie, the two African lion cubs rescued alongside their mother, Nirvana, in our 2025 international operation, will experience their first Christmas in true sanctuary. Born in July during the complex two-phase rescue that moved seven lions from a shuttered roadside facility in […]

December 31, 2025 View Article

Protected: From Milk Teeth to Mighty Roars: How Lion Cubs Grow, Learn, and Thrive at Sanctuary

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December 10, 2025 View Article

Why Do Prey Animals in Africa Migrate, But Most Lions Don’t?

Every year in East Africa, more than a million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of zebras, and countless gazelles thunder across the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem. This mass movement, known as the Great Migration, is one of the most spectacular wildlife events on Earth. If you’ve watched documentaries or The Lion King, you’ve probably seen this endless sea […]

December 9, 2025 View Article

Protected: When Genetics Go Wrong: How Inbreeding Harms Big Cats — and How TCWR Is Breaking the Cycle

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December 1, 2025 View Article

Healing Inside and Out: How TCWR Helps Rescued Big Cats with Mental Health

At Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, rescuing an animal from a harmful situation is only the first step. Once a big cat has been medically stabilized and moved into a safe habitat, an entirely different form of healing begins—one rooted in rebuilding well-being, restoring mental health, and helping each animal learn what it means to experience […]

November 24, 2025 View Article

Social Media and Citizen Science: How You Can Make a Difference

In today’s digital world, social media isn’t just for sharing photos—it’s a powerful tool for citizen science and wildlife conservation. While many people associate citizen science with birds or wild cats, there are countless ways that everyday people can contribute to research and conservation from home or in their communities. For example: Tracking Pollinators: Apps […]

November 12, 2025 View Article

Changing the Way We ‘name” Animals

For over 30 years, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge has rescued animals from lives of abuse, neglect, and abandonment in the exotic pet trade—giving each one a safe, loving, and permanent home. Every rescue is unique: every story, every transformation, and every personality. Even their names tell a story. With more than 400 animals rescued […]

November 5, 2025 View Article

National Black Cat Day: The Science of Melanism in Wild Cats

Melanism—the genetic trait that produces excess dark pigment in an animal’s fur—is documented in at least 11 species of wild cats. While it is rare overall, the frequency of melanism varies widely depending on the species and environment. Some cats, such as bobcats and servals, exhibit melanism in scattered populations, while others, including leopards and […]

October 29, 2025 View Article

How to React if You See a Wild Cat on Your Hike

Big cats like cougars, bobcats, and black bears are vital to healthy ecosystems. As human activity expands into wild areas, encounters with these apex predators are becoming more common — and recent media reports have heightened public concern. At Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR), we teach visitors about the importance of these predators and how […]

October 21, 2025 View Article

Nature’s Blueprint: What Animal Skulls Can Tell Us

A lot can be learned about an animal just by studying its skull. The bones’ size, shape, and structure can reveal an animal’s diet, strengths, and even its role in the ecosystem. Imagine you’re holding a mammal skull but don’t know which species it belongs to—by recognizing a few basic features, you can start piecing […]

October 15, 2025 View Article