A sudden and heartbreaking goodbye – June 2024
Every loss is difficult and heartbreaking, even more so when unexpected. We are heartbroken to share that we have lost Indira. She and Svengali were the parents of Hirah and Maharani. With the arrival of the six Mirage tigers last year, she clearly established herself as the matriarch. At sixteen years old, she exuded elegance and grace, carrying herself with the poise of royalty. She commanded respect and made it known that it was her way no matter what. We got to experience her playful side as she settled into her new home. She would spend hours playing in her pool, simply soaking or dragging her toys in the water to destroy. Her favorite toy was a huge ball she would roll around or lay on top of. Indira enjoyed enrichment, especially watermelons she carried proudly as ‘prey’ until she demolished them.
A few weeks ago, we noticed that she wasn’t feeling well. We kept a close eye on her, but on the third day with no change, we took her to Oregon State University for a CT and complete exam. What they found was completely shocking and devastating. Indira had a massive degenerative disc rupture that was severely crushing her spine, likely caused by genetics, and surgery was not an option. After an intense consultation with our veterinarian, the team at Oregon State University, and our staff, we made the heartbreaking decision to let her go.
Losing Indira was a shock, and we are still reeling from it. She was an amazing tiger, and we can’t believe she’s gone. Although she was with us for such a short time, her presence left an indelible mark on our hearts . . .
Indira’s History:
In the fall of 2022, the Compound Manager at S&R Productions got news that the Secret Garden in Las Vegas was closing. The Mirage had been sold and all animals had to be re-homed. This was unexpected and heartbreaking for the keepers who had cared for the cats their entire lives.
After an extensive search and recommendations from the Compound Manager, the Sarmoti Foundation selected WildCat Ridge Sanctuary to provide lifetime care for six tigers: Svengali, Cosmo, Indira, Rajiv, Hirah and Maharani. We were thrilled and humbled for the opportunity and have worked closely with the original keepers to make the tigers’ adjustment as easy as possible.
Indira, sister to Rajiv, is curious about everything around her and so determined! We see her wheels turning as she works out the problems to get where she wants to go. We love hearing her welcome chuffs letting us know she’s doing well.
The tigers have been very well taken care of before arriving at the sanctuary and we count their former keepers as part of the WCR family!
