Dealing with Nature at our Refuge
September 9, 2020
Turpentine Creek is set on the edge of the beautiful Ozark Mountains. Our 459 acres property is filled with rolling mountains, lush forests, and plenty of native creatures that helps add to gorgeous atmosphere of our refuge. A large draw to our facility is our large, natural habitats filled with trees, grass, and plenty of space. Although this is wonderful for our animals, giving them wonderful spaces to explore every day, there are some drawbacks to being surrounded by so much nature.
The team members of Turpentine Creek spend a lot of time maintaining our habitats through mowing and weedeating. We also have to continually tick dust to protect our big cats from Bobcat fever, fleas, and other blood born illnesses, which are not only deadly to small cats but to big cats as well. It is difficult to treat big cats for ticks and fleas, so treating the grounds and habitats is the best way to protect our animals. This is time consuming and expensive, but worth it to protect our animals.
Another issue we face being surrounded by nature are smaller animals. Snakes, opossums, armadillos, spiders, and other small creatures that cannot be kept out of habitats. These animals either dig and destroy the habitat grounds or can be a threat to our animals. Recently, Koda, a sixteen year old male black bear, passed away due to complications from a rattle snake bite. We do our best to keep snakes away from our animals but there is no way to completely keep them out. These venomous snakes can be a threat to both our animal residents and our team members. We will mourn the loss of Koda, but sometimes nature wins no matter what we do to prepare.
A beautiful manicured facility is the result of our hard work, but the safety of our animals is always top priority. 
Luckily, as summer comes to an end, yard work takes less of our time. We still have to continue to treat for ticks and fleas but as the temperature cools off many of the other animals will go into hibernation and we will get a reprieve from them and the dangers that they pose. When visiting the Refuge please keep in mind that we do have lots of wild wildlife that also calls our grounds home. These animals are not wilder nor are they tame, keep your distance and be prepared.
With your help, we can continue to protect our animals. Your donation allows us to maintain our habitats, rescue animals, and provide quality care for our residents. We also want to remind you to check to see if your employer offers matching donations, this way your donation goes even further! Thank you for your help and dedication to our mission!