- Tiger Haven
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- For the wildlife research facility in India, see Billy Arjan Singh.
Tiger Haven is a private sanctuary for big cats in Roane County, Tennessee.
As of June 2011, Tiger Haven reports having over 280 animals on its premises, all but 13 of which are tigers, lions, leopards, and cougars. The other 13 are servals, caracals, and bobcats.[1] The animals are deemed to be abused, abandoned or neglected.[2] The facility occupies a 48-acre (19 ha) property, including a 19-acre (7.7 ha) tract where big cats are housed in cages and additional land that has been cleared of forest.[3]
The facility is operated by Mary Lynn Haven, who also uses the name Mary Lynn Parker. In 1991 she was given a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency permit allowing her to keep a pet tiger on the premises.[2] Over time she took in additional big cats and chartered Tiger Haven as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.[1][2] A particularly large expansion occurred in 2005.[3]
Tiger Haven has been very controversial. Neighbors of the facility have expressed concern that animals might escape, and they have complained of noise, odor, and other nuisances.[2][3] A civil lawsuit filed against Tiger Haven in 2011 alleges that roaring can be heard “for several miles.”[2] As of 2009, no animals had ever escaped from the facility.[3]
References
- ^ a b Tiger Haven website, accessed June 24, 2011
- ^ a b c d e Bob Fowler, $10M lawsuit calls Roane’s Tiger Haven a nuisance, Knoxville News Sentinel, June 24, 2011
- ^ a b c d Bob Fowler, Neighbors growling over large population at Tiger Haven in Kingston, Knoxville News Sentinel, July 24, 2009
External links
- Tiger Haven - Official website
- Tiger Haven Neighbors - Informational website maintained by neighbors of the facility
Categories:- Animal sanctuaries
- Felids
- Buildings and structures in Roane County, Tennessee
- United States organization stubs
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