91探花

In layman’s terms, Anna Crippen ’25 describes The Wildcat Sanctuary as a retirement home for abused big cats—lions, tigers, and jaguars rescued from the illegal pet trade or illegal roadside zoos. More specifically, The Wildcat Sanctuary is a Minnesota-based non-profit renowned in the international wildlife medicine field for its high standard of care and educational responsibilities.

“It is not a public viewing facility, so one of the big goals is to give these cats a life where they can relax and not be worried about humans watching them or looking at them all the time. They get their medication, they get their food, and they get to live their lives out in peace without being abused through the entertainment industry,” Crippen said.

Crippen, a Wildlife Biology major who specialized in Wildlife Rehabilitation, is currently working at The Wildcat Sanctuary as an intern. She will remain in this position for six months, after which she hopes to land the lead intern position which would require an additional six months of on-site work.

Residents at the sanctuary range from lions and white tigers—a kind of Bengal tiger with a white-fur-causing genetic mutation that is bred for and does not naturally occur in the wild—to bobcats and lynxes, to hybrid domestic breeds like Savannah cats. A large part of the sanctuary’s education focuses on the ethical, health, and safety concerns of wild cat breeding practices.

In order to create the most relaxing and natural environment for the residents, the sanctuary is generally a no-contact facility. Crippen is currently working with some of the sanctuary’s largest breeds, such as lions, tigers, and cougars, and often assists with no-contact feedings.

“For the bigger cats like lions and tigers, we may feed them through a chute in the kennel to minimize contact, but for more timid cats, we have tongs that we use to hand the pieces of meat to them,” she said. “Smaller cats like bobcats have their own challenges since they can reach farther, so we have to be more aware of how close we hold the tongs to them.”

In addition to assisting with feedings, Crippen also works with sanctuary employees to prepare residents’ diets, medications, and enrichment activities, areas of care where she is able to draw from experience thanks to the many hours of work she dedicated to patients and animal ambassadors at the college’s May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

At the Center, Crippen often worked with a hawk, preparing enrichment activities for her such as playing with paper balls and shredding newspaper. While most of the animals she worked with at the Center were much smaller than her current patients, Crippen said the experience she gained is extremely valuable for her current role.

“The two biggest things for me that I feel proud of in my knowledge from Lees-91探花, is not only just taking care of an animal, but understanding that animal and noticing if something is off. Looking out for different behavioral signs is really crucial, and I think that’s something really special I’ve been able to learn at Lees-91探花,” Crippen said. “We never enter the enclosure, it’s not that kind of place, but before we approach a cat one of the biggest things is to really reflect on your demeanor, your attitude, and the energy that you’re exuding because the cats will pick up on that.”

For Crippen, this internship with The Wildcat Sanctuary is more than just a point on her resume. Rather, this is an opportunity for her to gain experience in her dream career field. Crippen’s ultimate goal is to work as a big cat zookeeper, a role that would give her the opportunity to combine her passion for caring for these majestic creatures with her mission to educate the public.

She said that working with big cats is a relatively small niche within the field of wildlife medicine, particularly for young professionals right out of their undergraduate program. Having this experience so early in her career, combined with her degree and hands-on experience at the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, will give Crippen a leg up as she seeks more long-term positions following this internship.

“This is truly a world-renowned facility. We actually have lions that came from Ukraine during the war. People from around the world know the standards that this facility sets for wild animal care, so I think being able to show that I can do that tough work for six months to a year is going to be a really great opportunity for me,” she said. “I’m really genuinely excited to get to this point in my life. There are times when you don’t know if you’re going to be capable or get the chance to do exactly what you want in life.”