Tuesday, May 27, 2003
The exotic animal sanctuary houses more big cats than the Akron Zoo.
By JAYME RAMSON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BERLIN CENTER -- Some people pay more money for a puppy than they would have to pay for a baby tiger, says Ellen Whitehouse of Noah's Lost Ark Exotic Animal Rescue Facility.
Baby tigers sell for less than $500 in the U.S. marketplace, Whitehouse said.
Last October, a tiger was advertised for $1 on eBay. The online auction was removed once eBay realized that it was an attempt to sell a live animal. The company does not allow the sale of animals.
These examples are only one reason Whitehouse and her husband, Doug, continue to take in exotic animals.
"It's really hard to say no. If you go somewhere and you see the conditions the animals live in, it's really hard," she said.
The Whitehouses' facility provides a permanent home for more than 125 animals, including more than 35 big cats. Because there are so many animals that need help, the couple have a hard time saying no to new ones, she said.
So they are constantly constructing new pens at the rescue facility, but the large steel fence enclosures are expensive. And the Ark is a nonprofit animal sanctuary, dependent on donations and admission fees for construction, maintenance and food bills.
In the beginning
The Whitehouses started the sanctuary after attending an exotic animal auction a few years ago. Doug paid $75 for a baby tiger that nobody wanted. The animal died of pneumonia two hours later.
The Whitehouses went to the auction for the next couple years and started buying some animals for their farm. They applied to the government to be classified as an exotic animal sanctuary and received a license. Since that first year, the facility has tripled in size, Ellen said.
The Whitehouses have one empty enclosure, but Nakita -- the eBay Siberian tigress, who is in the holding pen, will be placed there soon. More construction is necessary for the couple to take in more animals, Ellen said.
"We do have the room to expand; we just don't have the money to take them all in," she explained.
They also lack the necessary staff to accommodate more animals. Ellen explained that their small volunteer staff helps keep the sanctuary functioning, but more help is needed.
"We just never get done," Ellen said. "We could be outside 24 hours a day."
In comparison, the Akron Zoo is home to three tigers and two lions and has a staff of more than 80 employees, said David Barnhardt, director of marketing and guest services at the zoo.
A simple purpose
The Whitehouses don't mind. Both said they love to help animals and their purpose is simple: "These animals have nowhere to go and we want to provide a safe environment for them," Ellen explained. "The sacrifices that have been made, totally of our own accord, have been tremendous. And when you walk back there and see one of these guys, they come running to see me. Just to know that these animals are happy, to know that these animals have some joy, it gives you a lot of joy."
The sanctuary is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To schedule a tour, or for more information, contact Ellen at (330) 584-7835 or visit the Web site at www.noahslostark.org.
jramson@vindy.com