Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary temporarily closes

Sitaara, a tiger at Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary

Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary, Tyler, TX, has temporarily closed their doors amidst federal investigations into the nonprofit facility.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed last month that the facility is under investigation for animal medical neglect. Roadside Zoo News has also received several unconfirmed reports that the sanctuary is under investigation for tax evasion.

In early August, Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary announced they would be closed from August 2-6 for construction. They also limited Facebook commenting on their posts.

Then on August 6, Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary announced they would be remaining closed “due to the drastic rise in the number of covid cases in the area.”

However, last December the facility did not seem concerned about the pandemic.

Social media posts indicate the facility loaned out their newly acquired tiger cub to a family that had just recovered from COVID-19. Photographs indicate none of the family members wore masks around the cub.

Several other USDA-regulated facilities in the area, including the nearby Caldwell Zoo, remain open.

It is unclear how long Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary will remain closed.