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The lion's share

Tribune photo by Jason Behnken

Joseph is a 20-year-old lion at Big Cat Rescue, and one of the cats Hillsborough County educators got a chance to see during a recent short tour. Hillsborough County schools are kicking off a charity drive for Big Cat Rescue.

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

cpastor@tampatrib.com

Published: April 8, 2009

CITRUS PARK - Your grocery bill might be $250 a day, too, if you towered over a 6-foot-tall man and had paws the size of dinner plates.

Flavio, a 20-year-old retired circus tiger, showed off his bulk last week when he leapt to his hind legs to snag a quarter of chicken that Scott Lope held over his head.

Lope, the operations director at Big Cat Rescue, was feeding the lions and tigers in front of a tour group of Hillsborough County educators who hope to raise money for the cats.

About 40 teachers and administrators visited Big Cat Rescue recently to learn about the nonprofit organization's mission and how donations would benefit it. They will take the message back to their schools to try to raise $250 per school throughout April, an amount that covers the cost of feeding the lions and tigers for a day.

The local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, a professional educators association, is coordinating the charity drive.

Bonnie Kirstein, a student intervention specialist and one of the organizers, said many of the children she works with at Davidsen Middle feel frustrated because they see their parents having a hard time economically. Raising money for Big Cat can show them they can still make a difference, she said.

For Big Cat, which cares for 140 exotic felines that have been abused, abandoned or neglected, the effort exposes more students to its mission. Volunteer Denny Mitchell said he enjoys giving children tours, so they can appreciate why the cats should be protected.

"I like to bring kids because it's a great place to start with the message of conservation," Mitchell said.

Dana Clements, a third-grade teacher at Westchase Elementary, brought two of her students with her to the tour. They had studied lions and tigers in class and attended a field trip to the 45-acre sanctuary. They experience the animals there in a way they can't in books or television.

"There's no fluff," Clements said. "There's no cartoon animals."

Instead, her students learn facts about the dangers of adopting exotic animals at home and disappearing wildlife.

Grayson Leal, 9, said he could see the appeal of smaller cats, such as a bobcat or lynx, but wouldn't want one.

"They look really cute, but Big Cat Rescue told us that wasn't the right thing," Grayson said. "They get too powerful or are mistreated."

Cameron Wiebe, 8, said it was a cool place for children to learn about wild cats. He discovered a surprise namesake on his trip, too.

"When I saw one of the lions named Cameron?" he said. "I thought that was very interesting."

Students at the schools that participate in the fundraiser will have a chance to do a podcast with Big Cat Rescue and attend a field trip where they can watch the lions and tigers get fed.

The teacher, principal and area director of the class that raises the most will receive a three-day weekend in a Jaguar and two-night stay in St. Pete Beach, thanks to corporate sponsors.

Kirstein did not yet know how many schools were participating.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503.

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