A Kent animal park has given a new lease of life to a pair of big cats previously living under the care of a man dubbed the “UK Tiger King”.
The Cat Survival Trust in Welwyn Garden City hit the headlines in May last year when its director, Terrence Moore, 78, was found guilty of causing suffering to its animals.
Frank is the UK’s only Asian golden cat. Picture: The Big Cat Sanctuary
Hertfordshire Police visited the site in July 2022 and found them suffering from a multitude of diseases, as well as discovering dead carcasses in the site’s freezer.
Moore was convicted of four charges of causing unnecessary suffering of an animal, and seven of using an animal species for commercial gain without a licence, at St Albans Crown Court in the summer.
He was handed a £14,000 fine and banned from keeping big cats for five years after it was also found he used ineffective homoeopathic remedies on the animals under his care.
Two conservation charities – Hertfordshire Zoo and Smarden’s The Big Cat Sanctuary – are now working with police, local authorities, and veterinary teams to care for the site’s 28 rare and endangered cats before they are rehomed.
Of these, two have been brought to Kent to begin their new chapter at the Sanctuary near Ashford.
One is Frank – the UK’s only Asian golden cat – whose species is native to southeast Asia.
Terry Moore was convicted of several offences relating to his treatment of animals. Picture: FacebookJoe Exotic, the original ‘Tiger King’
The feline is one of only seven in European zoos as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.
He will play a crucial role in raising awareness about the species, whose numbers remain relatively unknown in the wild.
Listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List, Asian golden cats are polymorphic, meaning they can exhibit a variety of coat colour variations.
The most common is golden or reddish-brown, but it can also appear dark brown, grey, or even display patterns of spots or rosettes similar to those of an ocelot.
The second animal to join the Kent park will be fishing cat, Boson.
Boson the fishing cat has joined The Big Cat Sanctuary. Picture: The Big Cat Sanctuary
Also classified as ‘vulnerable’, they are often found in wetland habitats with confirmed records showing them present in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Their name derives from the fact the species often hunts for fish while fully immersed in water, where they have been seen flicking or scooping the fish out with their paws.
The Big Cat Sanctuary’s project lead, Cam Whitnall, said: “We are very excited to welcome Frank and Boson to our sanctuary but devastated that it is under these sad circumstances.
“Both cats have received full health checks and are being closely monitored whilst they settle into new enclosures that mimic their natural habitat.
He continued: “We only have weeks before the facility is closed down for good, so we are working at speed to find them their forever homes.
Project lead at The Big Cat Sanctuary, Cam Whitnall
“Unfortunately, not all will be able to be rehomed due to significant health issues but we are committed to giving these beautiful creatures the care and dignity they deserve.”
So far, 14 of the 28 cats have been rehomed successfully.
The ‘Tiger King’ name has been used worldwide in reference to former zookeeper and convicted American criminal, Joe Exotic.
He became a household name when Netflix released a series about his treatment of some 200 cats at his zoo, The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, in Oklahoma in 2020.
He is currently serving a 21-year prison sentence after being convicted of hiring two men to kill his rival Carole Baskin, as well as other wildlife offences.