May 16, 2023- MEDIA ALERT
Seized before illegally sold online, tiger cub finds a forever home at The Wildcat Sanctuary
Sandstone, MN – An Arizona man was arrested in January after he illegally listed a tiger cub for sale on social media. He was apprehended after he made a deal to sell the cub to undercover officers for $20,000. The officers found the cub living in a dog kennel in the man’s closet.
Now, at 5 months old and weighing 85 pounds, this tiger cub named Indy is on her way to her permanent home at The Wildcat Sanctuary (TWS) in Sandstone, Minnesota. Indy was temporarily being cared for at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale while the case was being resolved.
Founder of The Wildcat Sanctuary Tammy Thies said, “We’re so grateful for the care Southwest Wildlife gave Indy during the court case. She’s a healthy, happy tiger because of them.”
Thies added, “As an accredited sanctuary, we commonly assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and other authorities on cases like these. Tigers and other big cats are still being sold and trafficked illegally in the United States.”
In 2021, TWS took in 4 big cats seized by the Department of Justice from Tiger King Park, made famous by the Netflix series. “Our sanctuary provides transport and proper lifetime care, all at our own expense, to ensure tigers like Indy grow up in a proper and safe environment.”
TWS staff drove 3,400 miles round-trip to pick up Indy. At the sanctuary, she’ll live out her days with 130 other rescued big cats who call the sanctuary home. She’ll enjoy a large, free-roaming habitat with a heated indoor bedroom, pools, caves and plenty of enrichment to keep her happy and her senses challenged. And the sanctuary hopes to introduce her to other tigers once she is big enough.
The sanctuary invites the public to help support Indy’s transport and daily care by donating at WildcatSanctuary.org. The public can watch Indy grow up through live posts and videos on the The Wildcat Sanctuary’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
The Wildcat Sanctuary (TWS) is the only accredited, non-profit sanctuary in the Midwest. TWS provides a natural sanctuary to wild cats in need and inspires change to end the captive wildlife crisis. Combining natural and spacious habitats with a life free of exhibition, TWS allows all residents to live wild at heart. As a true sanctuary, we do not buy, breed, sell or exhibit animals. The Wildcat Sanctuary is accredited by the American Sanctuary Association and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. More information can be found at WildcatSanctuary.org
Related articles about Indy’s case:
https://www.newsweek.com/man-tries-sell-tiger-cub-undercover-cops-20k-gets-arrested-1776558
https://localtoday.news/az/phoenix-man-charged-with-trying-to-sell-tiger-cub-106686.html
