On our first volunteer trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in
the fall of 2013, we had a discussion towards the end of the day about the
challenges of being a zookeeper for the big cats. A lot of energy was put into
providing enrichment activities, but they did offer a way we could help. One
activity that the tigers loved, but which took too much time for the keepers, was
making deer-shaped “piñatas” out of cardboard and paper mache. At Colorado
College Tigers for Tigers, this sparked an idea.
Using cardboard boxes from the mail room,
used paper towel and toilet paper roles from members houses, and a balloon, we
constructed the skeleton of a deer. Because we couldn't use any processed
parts, we used paper mache (newspaper dipped in a thick mixture of flour and
water) to stick the parts together. We then removed the balloon, and took it to
campus to show it off to the rest of the student body. To help raise awareness
about our club on campus, and for the Big Cats and Public Safety Act, we set up
a table outside our student center and allowed people to decorate the deer, and
in exchange they would sign a letter there in support of the Act to be sent to
one of our two Colorado Senators. Through this process, we sent 50 letters to
Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennett, and raised awareness about tigers in
America in the process.
In March, we were finally able to take our Deer Pinata to
the Cheyenne Mountain zoo for one of their tigers to enjoy. For the final prep,
we stuffed the inside with Giraffe hay, since the tigers greatly enjoy novel
scents. We also smeared meat around the outside of the box and attached it to a
zipline that would swing it out over the tiger exhibit. Watching Grom, the
tiger, destroy the deer was amazing. We got to see his stalking and attack
skills, and to see how happy he was to roll around in the hay after the deer
had been torn to shreds was incredible. To know that we as Colorado College
students are able to provide that much direct help for the tigers is a special
feeling, and we all left the zoo that day feeling very satisfied with our work.
Check out our video of Grom destroying our deer by clicking
here.
For more information about Colorado College Tigers for
Tigers, please visit our facebook page or send us an email at cct4tigers@gmail.com.
Are you inspired by this story? Send us an email at t4tcoalition@gmail.com to find out
what you can do to help tigers and support your local zoo.
Nathan Hahn
National T4T Coalition Liaison
Colorado College Tigers for Tigers
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