Leopards Turpentine Cree
Tiger Playing in Snow
Turpentine Creek
Albino Tiger
Eureka Springs
Turpentine Creek
Wildlife Refuge
Tiger
Eureka Springs
In 1978, the Jackson Family acquired their first lion, Bum, while living in NE Texas. Tanya
Jackson Smith, current president of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, was only 8 years
old. In 1982, they acquired another lion, named Sheila. Although it wasn't easy taking care of
the two lions in their backyard, the Jackson family was successful. Bum and Shelia moved
from their home in Hope, Arkansas, to Eureka Springs when the Refuge was first started in
1992. They remained at the Refuge for their entire life. Through Bum and Sheila's
demanding backyard presence, the Jackson's met many people who either had, or wanted to
have, a big cat as a pet living under their care, at their home.
Katherine Gordon Twiss, a breeder and black market dealer, showed up on the Jackson's
doorstep with 38 big cats crammed into two cattle trailers. She was on the run from the law in
Texas and desperately needed to find a home for the cats. A friend of the Jackson family
lived on a ranch in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and offered temporary refuge for the cats. The
property was later purchased for a permanent home. The 38 big cats were moved to the
nearly 500 acre ranch near Eureka Springs, which later became what today is Turpentine
Creek Wildlife Refuge. The labor intensive job of quickly building temporary cages for the
38 big cats was completed. It soon became evident, by incoming phone calls from all over the
country from "big cat pet owners" looking for a home for their cat, that someone needed to
start a big animal sanctuary. The Jackson family: Don, Hilda, Tanya, and Robert, stepped up
to this challenge and did that of which most would only dream -- they sold everything; moved
over 300 miles; and humbly went to work for the animals.
Today there are over a dozen reputable sanctuaries for big cats around the country, but
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge truly stands out as a frontrunner. The United States has
thousands of its residents keeping dangerous big cats in their backyards, basements, garages,
and warehouses. People acquire these animals as pets and soon find they have made a grave
decision and turn to Turpentine Creek for refuge…
Lucci at Turpentine Creek
Wildlife Refuge
Howl-O-Ween Eureka Springs
Lion Cub Turpentine Creek
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Bobcats Turpentine Creek
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