NEWS

Longtime Branson performers finally to be uncaged

Claudette Riley
CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM

After years of performing on stages in Branson — and living in cages with rubber mats on the floor — three tigers and two leopards are retiring.

All five were born in captivity and trained to be an integral part of illusionist Kirby Van Burch’s show on the Branson strip. But with the entertainer downsizing, his exotic co-stars were recently donated to the National Tiger Sanctuary.

Over the coming weeks, they will transition from their indoor cages to large, outdoor enclosures.

“They’ll have a much bigger area. They’ll be able to breathe fresh air. They can feel the grass under their feet, they can even roll in the grass,” said Michael Murtaugh, a former VanBurch employee who raised and cared for the animals.

“They’ll get to be cats.”

Sanctuary officials applauded VanBurch’s decision to abandon the use of exotic animals in his act, noting many foreign countries have recently made the use of animals in performances illegal due to animal welfare concerns.

Abbie Knudsen, executive director of the sanctuary, said they were the last of “the big cats performing in Branson,” ending a chapter in the history of the tourism mecca.

“We’re really proud of his decision. It’s really a milestone for Branson,” she said. “It’s also good for the animals. They can be outside and in the sunlight.”

Knudson said the animals, who arrived at the sanctuary over the past week, were well fed and in relatively good health but have “some challenges” such as skin conditions, foot sensitivity, lameness and hair loss.

Walking issues stem from years of living on hard surfaces instead of dirt and straw. Also, the declawing process they went through — which included amputating some digits at the bone — changed the way they distributed weight and has been known to trigger arthritis in big cats, she said.

Last week, VanBurch sent out a media blast about his new “up close and personal” magic show at a new, smaller theater. In it, he said a decision had to be made about the animals. They were last used in a show in late March.

“It is time for my cats to retire,” he said in the news release. “They’ve been great participants in our award-winning magic show and while touring Branson has been a trip, I think they’re ready for some relaxation.”

He noted that three years ago, Merlin the Lion was the first of his exotic animals to “retire” at the sanctuary. The five new additions include:

• Blackie, a 156-pound black leopard born 12 years ago

• Bambi, an 82-pound yellow Asian leopard

• Precious and Princess, both over 300 pounds, white Bengal tiger siblings born about 8 years ago. Precious is also cross-eyed, which is common in inbred tigers.

• Stripey, a 268-pound orange tiger

Fans of the animals will eventually be able to visit them at the sanctuary, just off U.S. 65 between Springfield and Branson. The sanctuary offers three tours a day, Wednesday through Sunday.

The population of the not-for-profit sanctuary, established in 2000, has grown to 27 with the addition of the five animals. It was built with private funds.

Knudsen said the sanctuary is raising up to $100,000 in donations to build new habitats for each animal. Currently, they’re being kept in cages similar to what had been used by VanBurch.

She said the animals will slowly spend more time outside and gradually transition to larger enclosures. But she added that the process from temporary to permanent enclosure won’t be rushed.

“It’s really up to the animals. Just being outside is a huge adjustment,” she said. “I can’t give you a time because it really depends on the animal.”

Each of the tigers and leopards can eat between 7 and 20 pounds of meat a day, more in winter and less in summer depending on their size. They’re mostly fed zoo-quality horse meat and ground turkey.

Murtaugh, who worked for VanBurch for 15 years, said he’ll miss the cats he helped raise from birth. He fed them with a bottle and allowed the little ones to sleep in his bed.

“I plan on going to see them as often as possible,” he said, noting he has already been out there multiple times. “They’re my friends, my family.”

Over the years, Murtaugh has had some close calls. The black leopard nearly chewed a finger off. A canine tooth from one of the Bengal tigers ripped an elbow open.

He said it would be hard to put a dollar value on what the animals are worth, though he believes had they been put for sale they would have been highly desirable to other musicians or illusionists.

“Out of the love for the animals, they’re better off where they are,” he said.

Want to help?

• National Tiger Sanctuary is a non-profit organization dedicated to animal care and environmental education.

• Donations are tax-deductible.

• Tours of the sanctuary take place at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily from Wednesday to Sunday.

• For more information, contact the sanctuary at 417-587-3633 or nationaltigersanctuary.org.