Bengal Tigers
Of the 5 remaining species of tigers on earth, there are more Bengal tigers than all the others combined and the most popular "pet" among the big cats. Many of the cats at Big Cats of Serenity Springs came here because the owners did not realize what they were getting into when they got that cute cub. The cats in the picture at the top of this page are Dorado and Aries - they are both approximately 5 years old and have been with us for 2 years. If the cats were together before they came to the ranch we will keep them together.
This is one of my favorite pictures. Rocky is 7 years old and has been at the ranch for 4 years. Here he is sunning himself and enjoying a rare warm day in January.
EEK!! That's cold!
Scirocco has been here since he was 6 months old and it has been absolutely amazing to watch him grow and develop his own unique personality. Last summer he would soak in his tub until someone got close enough, then ... WHAM!! He would pounce onto the fencing, soaking his victim to the skin. At 2 1/2 years old, he is the youngest tiger here.
Aries is one of 3 White Bengal Tigers that call the ranch home. In nature the odds of a White Tiger being born are 1 in 10,000 but they are not albinos. Rather it is a recessive gene that must be present in at least one of the parents for there to be a chance of a White to be born. Of course, with the captive breeding programs, it is not so rare to see a White Tiger these days. All White Tigers in the United States are descendents of Mohan - one of the last truly wild White Tigers, captured in 1951.
Isn't he a beauty?? Boris is a Golden Tabby Tiger who came to live at Big Cats of Serenity Springs in November of 2002. If White Tigers are rare, Golden Tabby Tigers are almost non existent. Both parents have to have the same recessive gene. We are extremely lucky to have Boris and his girlfriends, Storm and Kenya with us.
Siberian Tiger
The Siberian Tiger is found in eastern Siberia and also in northern China and Korea. It is estimated are that there are probably no more than 200 Siberian tigers left in the wild.
In the winter the Siberian Tiger's coat will lose some of its color. The winter coat doesn't have the red stripes of tigers from warmer climates. The white coat also helps to camouflage it in the snow. It also grows a longer and thicker coat than other tigers to help it survive the cold weather.
There are currently 3 Siberian Tigers at the ranch: Harley, Aphrodite, and Shanandoah. Will post pics as soon as I get some good ones.
