Home Environmental Rescued From Peruvian Circus, Hoover The Tiger Is Being Moved To Florida

Rescued From Peruvian Circus, Hoover The Tiger Is Being Moved To Florida

Hoover Circus Seizure
Hoover Circus Seizure

After a lifetime of suffering in a Peruvian circus, Hoover the tiger will finally be free, flown to Miami International Airport (MIA) on Friday, April 22 and transported to his forever home at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa. Hoover, who will turn 12 on April 23, will get the best birthday present of all: a new start in life and a new home in America!

Hoover Circus Seizure
Hoover Circus Seizure

Wildlife officials in Peru and Animal Defenders International (ADI) seized Hoover in April 2015 to enforce Peru’s ban on wild animals in circuses. Rescuing Hoover proved to be very difficult as the circus had gone underground in order to keep the tiger; but after eight months of searching, ADI received a tip-off and moved in for a surprise rescue operation against the circus.

Hoover health check
Hoover health check

Sick and emaciated, Hoover was then taken to ADI’s temporary rescue center near Lima where he has lived for the past year. Months of tender loving care, veterinary attention, toys and exercise has seen Hoover recover and thrive.

At his new home at Big Cat Rescue, Hoover will enjoy a very spacious enclosure with lots of shady trees and soft grass. He will even have access to a spring-fed lake, where he can swim and splash about whenever he likes. Hoover’s habitat also features a large platform, several dens and plenty of toys. He will receive the best possible medical and dental care and nutrition, as well as mentally stimulating and fun enrichment treats at least twice per week.

Hoover's new home at Big Cat Rescue
Hoover’s new home at Big Cat Rescue

“Hoover is the tiger that almost got away from us. The Peruvian circus went underground, so it was very difficult to track him down and rescue him from his sad life of pain and suffering. It is a privilege to bring Hoover, who turns 12 on Saturday, to Big Cat Rescue to begin a new chapter of his life happy and safe at this wonderful sanctuary. He has special needs and deserves special attention – and that is exactly the kind of care that Big Cat Rescue does so well, ” said ADI President, Jan Creamer.

Big Cat Rescue Founder Carole Baskin said, “Big Cat Rescue is forever grateful that Animal Defenders International rescued Hoover, cared for him during the long process of obtaining permits, and has now transported him to America. We are so happy to welcome Hoover and provide him with a safe, peaceful home at our sanctuary in Tampa. He will now spend the rest of his life enjoying the warm breezes of Florida, relaxing in the shady grass, lounging on his platforms and cooling off in our lake. He will literally be a world away from the abuse he suffered most of his life. After all his suffering, we hope people will take Hoover to their hearts like we have and donate towards his lifetime care.”

Emilio T. Gonzalez, Miami International Airport Director, said: “We are proud to welcome Hoover to the United States and help him transition to his new home in Florida. As America’s busiest port of entry for wild animals, we gladly receive thousands of animals like Hoover every year who are being relocated to safe locations around the world.”

ADI’s Operation Spirit of Freedom has successfully removed all wild animals from circuses in Peru and over 100 animals have been saved, making it the largest rescue of its kind. Native wild animals including bears, monkeys, birds and reptiles have been built homes in their Amazon habitats, 33 lions will be going home to Africa and Hoover will find peace and safety in Florida.

Please donate to fly Hoover the tiger to Miami:
http://www.ad-international.org/hoover

Please donate for Hoover’s lifetime care at Big Cat Rescue:

Hoover

Some Hoover Details:

Name: Hoover. Species: Panthera tigris / common name: Bengal tiger. Gender: Male. DOB: Registered Peru 23 April 2004. Date of Entry to ADI Temporary Custody Center, Peru: 15 April 2015. Family group: None. No other tigers in circus; 6 had died.
Identifying marks: Small notches on both ears. Complete front claws. Complete teeth. Scars both sides of face. Weight: 160kg. Seized from Circo Africano, traveling circus; near Piura, Peru.

About Animal Defenders International
Operating from Los Angeles, London and Bogota, ADI campaigns across the globe on animals in entertainment, providing technical advice to governments, securing progressive animal protection legislation, drafting regulations and rescuing animals in distress. ADI has a worldwide reputation for providing video and photographic evidence exposing behind-the-scenes suffering in the industry and supporting this evidence with scientific research on captive wildlife and transport. ADI rescues animals and educates the public. www.ad-international.org

About Big Cat Rescue
Located in Tampa, Fla., Big Cat Rescue is one of the largest accredited sanctuaries in the world dedicated to rescuing and providing a permanent home for abused and abandoned big cats. The nonprofit organization is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, certified by Independent Charities of America as a “Best in America Charity,” and has a four-star rating (the highest) from Charity Navigator for sound non-profit fiscal management. The sanctuary is home to over 80 exotic cats. www.BigCatRescue.org

Worldwide end to use of wild animals in traveling shows: The evidence that the suffering caused to wild animals by the constant travel, severe restrictions on movement and unnatural lifestyle has prompted authorities and governments around the world to end their use.

In the United States, more than 50 cities/counties in 23 states have taken action to restrict wild animals from traveling circuses. And around the world, hundreds of local ordinances are in place, including in the UK, Europe, and South America.

National restrictions on performing animals in travelling circuses, either wild or all animals, have been enacted in 32 countries – Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Malta, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, and Taiwan, The Netherlands. Similar laws are under discussion in the UK, USA, Brazil and Chile.

Terri Lynn has earned a reputation as a dynamo in the fast-past world of high profile public relations. Her blue chip press contacts, dazzling creativity and unstoppable determination, combined with superb writing skills, consistently produces extensive media coverage for her clients. She’s regarded as tenacious, persuasive and always gets the job done!

5 COMMENTS

    • BCR is a great place. I’ve been there personally during the hottest time of the year and it’s still great for animals. Yes they still live in “cages” but there’s only so much rescues can do to make animals as free as possible. I’ve been following BCR for years and I haven’t seen anything bad about them. They even bring in expensive equipment from other locations to try to save their animals. There are groups out there that try to bash BCR for what they do. The animals are healthy, happy, and relaxed and no longer have to be on concrete. Let’s say that BCR isn’t as great as you think, at least this tiger will be in a better place than he is currently.

  1. BCR is a SCAMtuary. If they have to beg for donations, then that means they don’t have enough money to care for the animals they already have. They should not be allowed to take in another animal until they’re solvent. Just watch the videos they have on youtube and you’ll see the disgusting conditions those animals live in. Tiny, rusted and weed choked cages that never get cleaned. The place stinks so badly that they put “funny” signs all over saying the smell is the pig farm next door. They need to be shut down.

  2. I REALLY don’t get the CONSTANT comments on the cats still being in a cage. There is a HUGE difference! These animals were bought, most of the time (Bobcat Rehab is the exception.) They were not wild. They were starved, lived in tight and nasty cages and in some cases beaten. Some of the cats were loved, but they longer could be cared for. In all of the cases….there is no where for them to go, but a sanctuary. Zoo’s won’t take them, if they can’t hold their own, in a population or if they have health issues. The option is a place like BCR or put the animal down. If you want to dislike BCR then that is your right (Your loss!!!), but you say you care for the animals, but you are hurting the cats, by your comments. The money has to come from SOMEWHERE! I have been there, also.I honestly wasn’t sure if I would leave devastated or joyful. I came away with knowledge that has changed my way of thinking. I am not a person that will fall for a line and a hard sell will make me dig in my heels. I went in very sceptical, but I listened with an open mind. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the habitats, because I was very upset after going to the Anchorage, Alaska Zoo. It was years ago, but I thought a place that has so rich of an animal population, would care for their living conditions. The cat-a-tats.are set up for the cats comfort, not the humans.There are shady areas, open sunny areas, platforms, dens (Yes, they have algie on them, but anything that sits outside, in Florida, will get the same thing on them.), natural foliage to stalk from or hide out, trees for the climbers, pools for the swimmers and even little brush piles for the ones that like that. It is kept very clean. Anyone with a house cat can tell you how hard it is to keep ahead of their stinky pans, so I was expecting to smell lots of big cat pee-pee! BCR has an amazing team of volunteers and interns that clean every habitat, every day. Would you belittle their efforts and judgement in helping there? It is hot, humid and heavens, buggy! They walk the cages for safety and remove poop and any leftover food, fur and enrichments. Food stations are cleaned with bleach. They also help remove dead tree limbs and other yard work. It is hot, hard and back breaking WORK!!!! It is not for the faint of heart. Do you really think that anyone would put themselves through that, if they didn’t think they were making a difference????. All of the BCR family love these cats! I love these cats and if I lived in Tampa, they would have to run me off the place. I had never posted on-line, until I read the bashing of BCR. It is taking food, care and medical treatment from what I consider partially MY cats. I don’t have a lot of money and I don’t volunteer there, so I am not of any value to BCR, as someone they would try to impress for a donation. I will stand up for their work. I send a little, when I can, I buy gifts from the gift shops, I purchase In Honor Of donations for family and friends and tee shirts for specific programs, such as the bobcats and Hoover. I always, get a personal note of thanks! I don’t advocate for just anyone and I don’t give what little money I have to just anyone. I research and then go and look for myself. I made phone calls to check out Heifer Int., before donating. Please try to be fair and maybe look for the good, not only the bad. They don’t claim to be perfect and they tell you about their mistakes in the past and what the differences are, now. How many women do you know, that would get up at 1:00AM and drive in their p.j.’s, for an hour and an hour and a half, in one case, so save a bobcat. In one case wading through water??? I LOVE animals, but I don’t know if I could have gotten in that water, in the dark. Please, Please, Please….don’t stop the work they do. You can look into an animals eyes and see how they are feeling. The condition of their eyes, nose, coats and how they carry themselves, show you whether they are healthy. I was looking at them closely, because I wanted to satisfy myself, that this was a good place. These cats are happy and they feel safe.They are curious, interested and very smart. They engage with the guest, or not. It is up to the cats. We need to help make the rest of their lives as healthy and happy as possible.