In Memorial
In remembrance of some unforgotten TIERART residents
Every year, we take in several hundred injured and orphaned wild animals at the TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary. After successful rearing or medical care, they are released back into the wild. Animals that cannot or may not be released into the wild find a species-appropriate home with us for life.
On this page we would like to remember some of the wonderful animals that we were allowed to accompany at TIERART until the end of their lives.
Tiger Sahib
Sahib spent his previous life in the circus and came to TIERART in July 2020 where he was allowed to retire in a species-appropriate home with loving care. Due to chronic kidney desease and arthrosis, we had to let him go at the age of nearly 18 years. Sahib will always be in our jearts and we will never forget the story of him and his half-sister Jill! They are reunited now forever.
Fox SingSing
SingSing was found on a hiking trail in the summer of 2022. She was covered in parasites and severely emaciated. Neither her age nor her origins are known for certain. However, there are many indications that she had previously been kept in human care. She was unusually trusting, but did not want to be touched. When this did happen, her resistance consisted of a kind of singing. This is how she got her name. Sadly, she died of a brain tumor in July 2023. The little female had an extraordinary character and we would have liked to have cared for her for much longer.
Arctic fox Samara
Samara was rescued from a Polish fur farm and arrived at TIERART in November 2022 together with the silver foxes Mala and Skadi. Her first steps out of the transport box already indicated massive problems. She was limping badly and her hips buckled when she walked. A thorough examination by our veterinary team confirmed that years of being kept in a tiny wire cage had caused considerable damage to her joints, hips and spine.
A specially developed therapy plan enabled Samara to enjoy a high quality of life and she really blossomed. Full of life and exuberant, she played with her conspecifics, dug in the earth or dozed in the sun. Despite her consistently negative experiences with people in her previous life, she quickly gained trust in her caretakers, enjoyed being petted and was motivated to take part in medical training. The training was intended to make the constant need for claw trimming stress-free, as Samara's claws were so deformed from being kept on a grid floor that they did not wear off naturally.
Her health deteriorated considerably in spring 2023 and, despite the medication, she was repeatedly in severe pain, which we were unable to relief. We therefore decided to let her go in peace.
Raccoon Dreibein
Raccoon Dreibein came to TIERART in April 2013 after she was found badly injured in a beating trap. Her life could only be saved by amputating her right hind leg. This is how she got her name, which means "the three-legged one." However, her handicap in no way prevented the raccoon from living a happy life with us in the company of conspecifics. We will never forget Dreibein and her story and are grateful to have been able to give her a second chance.
Tigress Varvara
Varvara was the last Bulgarian circus tiger. She was rescued by FOUR PAWS in 2015 and lived at TIERART ever since. After 12 years in a tiny barred circus wagon, she discovered a whole new world in her new loving home. At the proud age of 19.5 years, we had to let our dear Varvara go with a heavy heart after a sudden severe seizure. Her moving story will always remain in our memories....
Fox Sir Henry
Sir Henry was found as a cub with a broken leg and needed intensive medical care for a long time. A later release was unfortunately no longer possible, so he came to TIERART in 2018, where he shared an enclosure with the two male foxes Jackson and Porthos.
Shortly after his friend Porthos passed away in May 2022, we unfortunately lost Sir Henry very unexpectedly as well. With love we remember the unique "fox community"....
Fox Porthos
Porthos came to TIERART as a cub in 2017, after he was probably hit by a car. Due to a permanent handicap, he could not be reintroduced to the wild and lived at our sanctuary since that time. Despite minor handicaps, Porthos was playful and full of life and very popular with our visitors. It was therefore all the sadder for all of us that we unfortunately had to put him to rest in May 2022 due to serious neurological problems. Porthos was very special and leaves a big gap.
Here you can read his whole story again!
Pastel fox Zoé
Not only the fact that Zoé was a rare pastel fox made her very special for us. Zoé was simply unique...Since she was rescued from a cattery in 2011, she lived at TIERART and found her great fox love in 2016 with the arrival of Fodo, a male pastel fox. The two were inseparable until Zoé's death in May 2015.
We will never forget her amazing story.
Tigress Jill
Tigress Jill spent her entire previous life in the circus. Together with her half-brother Sahib, she came to TIERART in July 2020, where the two were allowed to enjoy their well-deserved retirement. Jill was already suffering from an incurable chronic kidney disease. Her condition deteriorated in the middle of January 2022, so that we had to make the decision to let her go with a heavy heart. Farewell, brave Jill! We miss you very much. Learn more about the story of Jill and Sahib!
Ram Hector
The brave Hector managed to escape the butcher in 2014 and was picked up under large police presence near a highway. He lived in our motley herd until January 2022.
The story of his escape was absolutely unique and we miss Hector very much....
Ram Casimir
Casimir was originally intended to be used for breeding. However, due to a malposition of his horns, he was "sorted out" and was to be slaughtered. An animal welfare activist bought the Merino ram free and brought him to TIERART in 2015. Casimir was very people-oriented and also liked to be petted by visitors. Many children were allowed to feel the dense, warm Merino wool for the first time thanks to Casimir and he visibly enjoyed being cuddled. In August 2021, we unfortunately had to let Casimir go after he suffered a severe injury to his horns, which could not be cured despite intensive treatment.
Raccoon Nala
Nala was born in 2007 and spent the first 8 years of her life in very poor housing with a private owner. There she was locked up all alone in a tiny, dirty chicken cage before she could be rescued in 2015. At TIERART she was allowed to spend another 6 happy years in the company of conspecifics in a species-appropriate environment before she died of a lung disease in 2021 at the age of 14.
Ram Bischoff
Bischoff was originally rescued from disastrous keeping conditions and had not been shorn for years. In his new home, however, the shy ram could not be integrated into the existing herd and therefore came to TIERART in 2018. Here he quickly became part of the nearly 40-member herd.Unfortunately, in March 2021, a fracture of the ulna occurred for an unexplained reason. Despite intensive medical care, the fracture did not heal together and the X-ray check showed that the joint had also shifted irreparably. Our team then decided to spare Bischoff further pain.
Goat Lotte
Only a few months after her friend Maya suddenly passed away, we unfortunately also lost Lotte quite unexpectedly. The two Boer goats were very people-oriented and curious. Not infrequently they visited us at the office or accompanied our visitor groups during a complete tour of the grounds. We would have liked to have had them with us for many more years, because they too had a story of their own, which unfortunately ended far too soon. Farewell, girls!
Goat Maya
Boer goat Maya came to TIERART in 2019 together with her friend Lotte. The previous owner of the two had rescued the goats from very poor husbandry, but could no longer keep them for private reasons. Unfortunately, Maya passed away very unexpectedly in early 2020, probably due to years of poor husbandry and incorrect feeding prior to her rescue. Nevertheless, her death came as a great surprise to all of us, as there were no signs the night before.