This fellow giving me a funny look is Darshan. A year ago, "D" liked to tell me that he wanted to eat my head. Now he looks forward to games with the hose stream and takes food from my hand like a gentle four hundred pound kitten. We talk about the pace of the changing world, and laugh about those old cranium crunching days.
D is one of our family of retired working tigers at Wildlife Companions. Anyone who has talked to me of late probably has heard me talk at length about these animals; anyone who has not needs but ask, and I shall happily speak at length.
Bluntly, we need help to keep our tiger retirement facility running. Now that it is officially December and the BlackCyberFeedingFrenzy is over, I would like to gently ask folks to consider us as part of your annual charity budget. Many people I know work for companies who offer matching for charitable donations, funds I suspect largely go unused. Regardless of your ability to contribute, even just spreading the word will help us immensely.
I cannot share the magic of working with these animals with everyone, words simply do not convey. Today, our goal is to provide a comfortable den and space to roam for our animals, and do what we can to educate. Some day, we hope to further bridge that gap with more interactive exhibits.
Thanks.
--Ren