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Tiger School |
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"At our school, if you're going to bring the teacher an apple, it better be wrapped in a hundred pounds of raw meat." So we spent our first hour at "tiger school" actually the Siberian Tiger Conservation Association preparing meals for four Siberian tigers, plus a blue-eyed white Bengal tiger, a lion and lioness. We had come to rural Gambier, Ohio about an hour east of Columbus, to spend a warm June day learning about and interacting with these beautiful big cats. First, my husband Michael and I had a chance to hand-feed Sasha, the lioness. She turned out to be a finicky eater, not at all like the lions which I had encountered in Africa, who cuff and snarl at one another over a carcass. Sasha's raw meat was cut into bite-size chunks and sprinkled with glucosamine contrition from capsules designed for human consumption. I was grateful to discover that she was willing to distinguish between meat and my fingers when eating! After a period of both verbal and written instruction about how to behave around the cats, we spent the afternoon in their enclosures with well-trained staff members, who were armed with spray bottles of vinegar water, and as a last resort a fire extinguisher. Shere Khan , the 850 pound male Siberian tiger was particularly cooperative, at one point even kissing both of us with his very large, extremely scratchy tongue. Joseph, the magnificent full-manned lion was not in a good mood, so while we did spend time in his enclosure, we respected his space. After all, a 550 pound African lion should always have his way! At "tiger school" veterinary students and zoology majors can enroll in courses that carry college credits. Those who wish to have a thrilling adventure with the two largest species of cat in the world can sign up for a day-trainer course, as we did. What an extraordinary opportunity, if you go however be ready to memorize and follow the rules, because another poster reads, "Mess around in this class and detention is the least of your worries." To contact the Siberian Tiger Conservation Association, you can call 740-668-9205 or click here.
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