Overview
- The Oakland Zoo, which announced Sitara's arrival Thursday, is rehabilitating the roughly 13-year-old tiger for left-hind-leg lameness and is keeping her off public view while she acclimates to a habitat with pools, vegetation and raised platforms.
- Sitara is one of five tigers taken from Kirshner-linked sites after regulators closed the operation; two males were moved to the Performing Animal Welfare Society, one male went to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, and a 16-year-old female was euthanized after failing to respond to treatment for end-stage arthritis and spinal disease.
- The rescues follow a California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation and the denial of a restricted-species permit for the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation, and a PETA lawsuit that led operators and affiliates to give up the animals.
- Oakland Zoo staff say many of the tigers arrived with physical and behavioral problems from years in small concrete enclosures, so care includes medical exams, physical therapy, slow habitat introductions and programs to build trust with keepers.
- The moves show how regulators, sanctuaries and accredited zoos coordinate to rehouse neglected big cats and suggest further scrutiny of roadside wildlife attractions that profit from practices such as cub petting; the zoo plans to post ongoing updates about Sitara's recovery.