Lions, Tigers, Leopards and Love

Shaking his enormous mane, Samson sounds a friendly greeting and saunters to the gate as it opens.

The 500-pound lion affectionately rubs against Louis Dorfman, who croons, “How’s my baby?” and, “Good boy.” As Samson lies down and closes his eyes, Dorfman scratches the animal’s head.

This tender interaction between man and beast takes place inside an enclosure at the International Exotic Feline Sanctuary, a 20-acre refuge in rural Texas. It is home to 68 creatures of 16 species--bobcats, cougars, jaguars, leopards, lions and tigers, as well as a jungle cat, lynx and caracal. Most were mistreated before they arrived here.

“Our mission is to give them the best quality of life while in captivity, and we go the next step in taking care of their emotional needs,” said Dorfman, an animal behaviorist. “They’re happy cats, and that’s our job.”

Fund-Raising Difficult After Sept. 11

Shauna, a lion, still doesn’t trust people after her previous owner shot off one of her toes. Another lion, Nala, has trouble walking because of bone problems caused by malnutrition.

Three Bengal tigers were abandoned on a ship in 1998 by a now-defunct Spanish circus. The animals were brought ashore in south Texas, where they lived in a cramped trailer for a month until the Boyd sanctuary discovered them. People across the country sent donations to feed and house them.

Two lions were about to be killed at a Mexico zoo that didn’t want them anymore. El Canelo and Rocky had never seen the sun or grass, but for the last seven years they have enjoyed snoozing and strolling in their outdoor Texas haven.

“This is their last chance to live,” said Richard Gilbreth, executive director of the sanctuary, which was founded in 1988. “Where are they going to go? Some have been declawed. Not more than two of them here could live in the wild because of what humans have done.”

Monthly Tab for Lions, Tigers: Up to $500 Each

Gilbreth was brought in to help the nonprofit sanctuary in late 1996, after the state attorney general’s office filed a civil suit against the former director.

In 1997, Gene Reitnauer was ordered to pay more than $2.2 million in damages for defrauding financial backers of the Boyd refuge, then known as the Texas Exotic Feline Foundation.

The sanctuary has made great strides since then.

Earlier this year, it became the first animal sanctuary to be certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Assn. The organization recognizes animal facilities that apply for the status and meet requirements on financial stability, animal care and living environments.

The International Exotic Feline Sanctuary operates on a $462,000 annual budget. Lions and tigers are the most expensive, each costing up to $500 a month for care. Because of dwindling donations in the last few months, the sanctuary--located some 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth--recently held a fund-raiser in Dallas, where it raised about $10,000.

“It costs money to give these cats a good quality of life, and many of them will live 20 years,” Gilbreth said.

On the no-frills grounds, gravel paths wind between fenced enclosures, which feature small pools or waterfalls, perches, trees, grass and toys--from tire swings to large balls.

Most animals are housed alone. When two of different sexes live in the same enclosure, at least one is sterilized to prevent breeding.

The seven employees and dozens of volunteers know the cats by name and celebrate their birthdays. They hold emotional memorial services at the sanctuary’s cemetery when an animal dies.

Dorfman, who has worked at the sanctuary six years, is the only person allowed inside the pens.

Although he spends hours alone with almost every animal, including the nearly 800-pound lion named Rhino, Dorfman said he has never been scratched or bitten.

He’s at Home in the Lions’ Den

“My safety with these animals lies in knowing what they’re thinking and feeling,” Dorfman said. “What I do with these cats isn’t rocket science. It is just respecting them as beings. And if I did the wrong thing, they could kill me.”

Gilbreth cannot afford to house more animals but has received more requests, which he has had to refuse.

A state law enacted Sept. 1 requires counties to either regulate or ban ownership of wild dangerous animals, including lions and tigers. Exemptions include people with state and federal wildlife permits, animal sanctuaries and traveling circuses.

Last year, a caged tiger tore off a 4-year-old boy’s arm in Channelview, near Houston.

A 3-year-old boy was dragged to his death in September by one of three tigers on his relative’s farm.

Gilbreth said owners have good intentions but seem to forget that exotic felines, growing to several hundred pounds, are unsuitable as pets.

“Many people say they bought a tiger to save the tigers of the world . . . but it just creates a market for breeders,” Gilbreth said. “People don’t need to own these exotic cats.”

International Exotic Feline Sanctuary: www.bigcat.org

American Zoo and Aquarium Assn.: www.aza.org