Recently, two tigers, Elsa and India, found sanctuary at the Humane Society’s Black Beauty Ranch, founded in 1979 in Murchison, Texas. There, tigers and almost a thousand other animals have permanent, safe homes at one of the largest US sanctuaries. Over 40 species at the ranch are victims of the wildlife pet trade.
Unfortunately, wild animals like tigers are still available in some states with no uniform regulation. However, the Humane Society hopes public support for the Big Cat Public Safety Act will soon change all that. So far, it has passed the House with bipartisan support and awaits passage by the US Senate after being reintroduced.
❄️ Elsa Arrives at Black Beauty Ranch ❄️
The first tiger, Elsa, received her name from authorities after the princess in the Frozen animated film. At six months old, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office found the 60-pound tiger caged in a San Antonio home’s backyard in highly unusual freezing temperatures. Someone had been keeping her as a “pet,” and she wore a dog harness.
Thankfully, the Black Beauty Ranch would give Elsa a life closer to the wild tiger’s life she deserves.
“Elsa is a rambunctious young wild animal and appears to be playful and active. Sadly, she spent her first few months of life as someone’s pet,” stated Noelle Almrud, senior director of Black Beauty.
“The dog harness she was wearing is a harsh reminder of the unnatural life wild animals are forced to endure in captivity. Elsa has a raw area on her forehead from rubbing on her cage from stress and fur missing where the harness once was. She was on an inappropriate diet that would have caused severe health damage, but luckily, we got her early enough and will be able to remedy that. We expect her to quickly acclimate to her large, natural habitat and start behaving more like a tiger than a pet. We will provide everything she needs to have all of her physical and emotional needs met and give her the fairytale ending she deserves.”
Elsa via YouTube
After her recovery, Elsa would enjoy a habitat alongside Loki; a tiger saved in 2019. Sadly, someone locked the enormous Loki in a small cage in an abandoned Houston home.
Video from the Humane Society:
🎃 Elsa’s First Birthday 🎃
Within months of arrival, Elsa gained 100 pounds and celebrated her first birthday at Black Beauty Ranch with treats on October 21, 2021.
Then, she was ready to move to a massive enclosure with a pool, waterfall, hammock, trees, and enrichment tools.
“Once she figured it out, she seemed quite satisfied. She loves rolling around in the grass, swimming, and playing with her favorite enrichment ball in the pool. She has become more confident, and her sassy, observant and intelligent personality is shining through. Her life on a leash as someone’s pet is far behind her now, and she will never have to worry about anything ever again,” Almrud told PEOPLE.
Tiger enjoys Halloween via YouTube
Recently, the animals enjoyed some Halloween fun:
India the Tiger
Just three months after Elsa arrived at Black Beauty Ranch, another tiger named India found refuge there. This time, the tiger was 9-months-old and running loose in a Houston neighborhood for nearly a week, a situation that could easily have ended in tragedy. The tiger was wearing a collar and caught on video by neighbors. Then, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy encountered India before someone put him in a vehicle and drove away.
India enjoying his pool via YouTube
Soon afterward, India’s “owners” surrendered the tiger to authorities, and nobody was harmed.
See more from FOX 26 Houston:
🐅 🧡 Living More Like Wild Tigers 🧡 🐅
In Houston, it’s illegal to own a tiger but still legal in the surrounding county under strict rules and guidelines. According to NBC, those rules include holding $100,000 of insurance and keeping the tiger at least 1,000 feet from homes, schools, or child facilities.
Once again, India and the people around him were extremely fortunate because he arrived at Black Beauty Ranch without further incident. There, he would enjoy a huge enclosure similar to Elsa, with a pool and wooded area for himself. After some time, the tigers can revert to more of their wild behaviors.
India peeks around a tree, via YouTube
Hopefully soon, the Big Cat Public Safety Act will pass the Senate so that tigers like Elsa, India, and Loki won’t require rescue in the first place. However, it’s wonderful to see that caring people at Black Beauty Ranch have given them forever homes where they can live more like tigers and not as dangerous mistreated pets.
See India in his huge enclosure via KETK NBC:
Featured images: Screenshots via YouTube/ The Humane Society of the United States
