Why We Became Adoptive Parents
We started at Carolina Tiger Rescue as Animal Care volunteers and treasured that time to interact with the animals. Over time, it became more practical for us to become adoptive parents, which would allow us to work closely with an animal and really make a difference (without having to carry buckets of water!). It was an easy choice to adopt Lola Kinkajou. She had been through a hard time when she was found wandering around in High Point, NC, and she was angry and aggressive. Our goal was just to help her be less frightened. But in less than a week, that changed – we fell in love with her and now her well-being means everything to us. She is still sassy, but also smart, resourceful, and very clever, so we began building things to stimulate and engage her: a puzzle feeder, nuts and bolts to unscrew, an exercise wheel, a nectar feeder, and blocks that could be built into structures for her to pull apart and toss around.
We love the challenge of finding things that will appeal to her feisty personality, making bomb-proof enrichments, and most of all just spending time at her enclosure, feeding treats and learning more about her. We often joke that seeing her is more enriching for us than for her! Being an adoptive parent is an amazing opportunity to work with this wonderful animal, learn from her, and challenge ourselves to make her life better. We are looking forward to building our relationship with her over the course of her (hopefully long) life at Carolina Tiger Rescue, and helping her have the happy life that she deserves.
Shirl and Merle Braley
Lola Kinkajou 07-17-2014 from Merle Braley on Vimeo.
Lola Kinkajou’s Puzzle Box from Merle Braley on Vimeo.
