Nevada zoo tigers make a video splash

Lily and Carli are video stars.

Thanks to a video shot of the Siberian tigers enjoying a new swimming pool, the two residents of Safe Haven Rescue Zoo near Imlay are stars on YouTube with about a million and a half hits.

In the 3:49 minute video produced by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Lily swims and splashes while Carli looks on, perhaps with envy as Lily hogs the water.

See the video here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxu1L4SAwZM

"It was so fun. You had to be here in person," said Lynda Sugasa, who co-owns the wild animal refuge with her husband David.

The video first shows the tigers' arrival at the zoo last year, then their introduction to one of the new swimming holes.

Despite Lily's reluctance to let Carli in the pool, there's plenty of swim space to go around.

Thanks to $10,000 each from IFAW and Newmont Mining, and $5,000 from NV Energy, two pools now are ready for the tigers. A third is under construction and two more will be built for the animals in the rescue zoo, Sugasa said. The total cost for the project is about $80,000.

"Tigers love swimming; this will be an improvement over their troughs," she said.

Previously, the cats had 8-foot round metal troughs for cooling off in each enclosure, but the metal heated up on hot days.

The new pools are about 22-feet by 28-feet. When the water is changed, it will be recycled for irrigating green areas in the enclosure, Sugasa said.

"We're also building a new enclosure for the tiger Caroline," she said.

Lily and Carli were among about 20 animals rescued from an animal facility in New York state that had lost its license. Left without food and water, the lions, tigers and bears were ignored by the owner.

When the United States Department of Agriculture and the IFAW finally secured a court order to rescue the animals, homes were found for them.

Carli and Lily arrived at Safe Haven in May 2014. The facility houses about 35 animals, former residents of zoos or other rescue facilities, illegal pets confiscated from owners, or animals injured in the wild that cannot care for themselves.

"There's no way you can take a tiger that has lived with humans and release it," Sugasa said last year. "They are all here for life.

The tigers were underweight when they arrived at Safe Haven, were not eating well and were lethargic. But in the past year, they've been well-nourished and cared for and have come out of their shells, adjusting to their environment.

The sanctuary does not breed, trade or sell animals, Sugasa said, and has its required special-use permit and government licenses. Public contact with the animals is restricted, although visitors can view the animals from outside their enclosures by appointment or at regular tour times.

As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Safe Haven is supported by largely by grants, donations and fund raising.

Safe Haven will hold its second Charity Scramble Golf Tournament in August to raise money for the animals and for the zoo's educational outreach program.

When: noon registration with 1:30 p.m. shotgun start, Aug. 21

Where: Wildcreek Golf Course

Cost: $125 includes 18 holes, golf cart, dinner and contests; $25 for dinner, raffle and silent auction only

Details: 775-538-7093 or email Lynda Sugasa at safehavenwildlife1@gmail.com.