Loki, a tiger that was found in an abandoned Houston home five years ago, celebrated his seventh birthday earlier this month, on June 6.
While the tiger spent the first few years of his life in a small cage, he was moved to Black Beauty Ranch, a large animal sanctuary in Murchison, Texas, shortly after being found by a concerned citizen in February of 2019.
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After being rescued, sanctuary staff nicknamed him “Loki” after the Norse god of mischief, because he was “sneaky and playful.” In particular, Loki is fond of pumpkins, which he’s occasionally given for enrichment purposes. Staff also gave him a watermelon for his birthday, which he briefly batted around before wandering away to take a nap.
Caretakers said his transition to his new home was a challenge at first; going from a confined garage to a wide-open space was quite startling for the tiger.
“When Loki first stepped on grass at Black Beauty, his reaction indicated to his caretakers that he had likely never before experienced that feeling under his paws,” representatives at Black Beauty Ranch said.
Staff at the ranch also said that Loki was initially unaware that he could stand on his hind legs, because the cage he was kept in was so small.
He was also fairly hesitant to explore at first, and sanctuary staff had to use positive reinforcement training to “help him learn how to be a wild tiger” and “promote his ability to express his natural instincts and behaviors.”
Over time, Loki began to act more like a wild tiger, and he slowly grew more comfortable exploring his habitat.
Now, just over five years since arriving at the sanctuary, staff say that he’s adjusted to the new environment well.
“After receiving proper care from our team, Loki… has grown into a confident tiger,” Black Beauty Ranch Senior Director Sue Tygielski said. “He spends his days splashing in his pool, sunning on his platform and lying under shady trees taking in the breeze.”
In contrast to his previous living quarters, Loki’s new home has more than enough space for a big cat to grow and thrive.
Black Beauty Ranch is over 1,400 acres, and proudly serves as a home to over 600 animals that were rescued from abusive situations, such as research labs and circuses. Loki’s new neighbors include bears, kangaroos and even three other tigers.
Tigers are solitary creatures, so Loki has his own habitat rather than living with the other tigers, but their enclosure is separated by a fence, and Loki can often be seen “playing” with neighboring tigers by running back and forth along the fence.
All of the other tigers at the enclosure are also rescues, like Elsa, who was originally housed in a traveling circus.
Christi Gilbreth, Senior Coordinator for Outreach and Development at the ranch, said that the sanctuary serves an important role by providing homes for animals too traumatized to be released into nature.
“We would love for these animals to be in the wild,” Gilbreth said. “But unfortunately, due to their cruel beginnings, that isn’t possible.”
Gilbreth emphasized that, for many animals, the transition from their former homes to the sanctuary can be difficult, but that their lives are much richer as a result.
Unfortunately, she said that some sanctuaries and zoos tend to prioritize profit rather than the animals’ safety and wellbeing.
“It’s hard to tell which zoos are treating their animals fairly, but one important way you can help is by making sure that any facility you visit is certified by the proper authorities,” Gilbreth said. “If it’s a zoo, they should hold an accreditation from the ACA, and if it’s a sanctuary like ours, they should be accredited through the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.”
She also said that it’s important that these animals are able to live out the rest of their lives with a right to privacy, but that the ranch does offer occasional tours, with one coming up on July 13.
So, if you want to wish Loki a happy belated birthday or just support a good cause, consider swinging by the ranch’s website to offer some support.
And as for Loki, while his beginnings may have been rough, staff say his future looks brighter than ever.
“Like all our sanctuary residents, Loki will never have to experience cruelty again”
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