and now for some big news - I bought a tiger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and was bitten by a bear

I was contemplating getting a pet. I was thinking to get a dog, but then was also thinking about how I've always wanted a tiger.

And...a tiger is tax deductible, won't poop in my yard, and won't get hair all over the place.

Dog - 0            Tiger - 1

I spent months researching sanctuaries. I finally found one I like, outside Colorado Springs. And then I found my perfect tiger.
 

So, you might think I'm bias, but I think Bentley is the best looking tiger in the sanctuary, if not the world :) I toured the sanctuary today and then hung out with Bentley for an hour. He did a lot of cute things.

He's two years old, 6 feet tall, and they guess he weighs about 500 lbs (obviously it's hard to weigh a tiger). He's not on the normal sanctuary tour because he's shy and usually doesn't come out when people are around but he came right up to the fence when I got there. He even chuffed at me a few times. Chuffing is how tigers talk to each other and it sounds like they are grunting but also growling. It's kind of hard to explain...

Bentley was just chilling out under his structure when I first arrived

I was like "hey Bentley" and surprisingly he came over

 

Bentley having a discussion with his neighbor - he was probably like "yeah, I got adopted biotch!" and his neighbor was like "she's too skinny to eat, fuck her!"

I was telling Bentley about Bringing Up Baby and he was like "yeah, that's pretty accurate tiger behavior"

Here I asked Bentley if he ever watches tiger documentaries and he's like "I'm too cool for school - no"

I mentioned to him that tigers can't eat pizza or sushi - he seemed upset at first but in the end was okay with that

Bentley's brother is to the right - I hate to say it but Bentley's better looking

I don't care if he was stretching because I was boring him - he's too adorable

this is him giving me his "fierce" look

here I asked him to give me the "tiger" look

I have a phone meeting with the experience director to decide on some toys for him. I definitely want to get him a ball in ball toy (it's a round doughnut looking thing that has holes and a small ball within the doughnut area and the tiger can bat the inner ball around via the holes - according to my research it's a favorite among tigers) and a ball with bells in it (tigers like toys that make sounds). Most of the tigers just have 16 lb bowling balls. They love bowling balls for some reason. 

As for feeding...Bentley is served a frozen meat brick. They chuck the meat bricks over the fence. The fence is really high. I need more time on my rower to build up my arm strength. Not sure how to improve my aim, I don't want to hit Bentley with a meat brick. Tigers can eat up to 60 lbs of meat in one sitting. That's a lot of meat to chuck over a 20 ft fence.

I can go see Bentley when ever I want (within reason), I just have to call and schedule it. The meet and greet (my brother Bob wanted to ensure it wasn't a "Meat and Greet") means you can get close to Bentley but you can't touch the fence or him. There are very strict laws regarding the handling of wild animals for any organization that wants an accreditation. You aren't allowed to handle wild animals after they are three months old because it could endanger the animal or the person. I'll be going out to see him at least once a month (honestly, probably more often if they let me).

After visiting Bentley the guide, Kristy, asked if I wanted to play with a 3 month old black bear. Um, YES!!!! 

Little did I know. She kept climbing into my lap and her (not retractable) claws are pretty sharp. She also climbed up my leg which was more painful than I would have imagined (baby bears like to climb everything taller than them, including people and other bears). 

The handler told me not to put my face anywhere near the bear's face but it was kind of hard to control the bear. Imagine a toddler on a double dose of crack cocaine washed down with a case of red bull and that's the energy level of a baby bear. The little scamp even bit me on the hand. After 5 minutes I was like "okay, done with the bear".

But I might buy her too...

Here comes trouble...with claws..and teeth

She wanted to sit in my lap. Given her weight she wasn't exactly a lap bear (she's heavier than she looks). And she wanted to eat my necklace.

And my phone...

Here she's trying to jump from my lap to the floor

since the handler had my phone she decided to eat the phone holder...kind of cool to have a phone holder with bear bite marks

 More Bentley (and maybe bears) coming soon...