PITTSBORO, N.C. -- It’s hard to describe the feelings unleashed when almost 400 pounds of tiger is running at you: awe, wonder, fear.

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The giant cat was hiding behind its den, peering out, before breaking into a full run towards the fence where Pam Fulk was standing.  But then the Executive Director of the Carnivore Preservation Trust started walking towards the cat and spoke.

 

“This is Rajaji, “ Fulk said, looking directly at the tiger. “We call him Raj. He’s playing, hear those low noises, that means he’s happy to see us.”

 

Fulk knows every one of the 85 wild cats in the trusts care. She respects them, and understands the public’s fears after news of the tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo.

 

“Any event like this causes you to look and see if you’re doing what you should be doing,” Fulk said, pointing out the Trust’s facilities. While the Trust is not a zoo, it’s a wild animal rescue; Fulk believes the facility is just as secure.

 

Most of the habitats are fully enclosed. There’s an electric fence ringing all 55 acres of the property. Only the tiger pens are open, but Fulk said there’s good reason.

 

“These fences are flexible and that’s intentional,” Fulk said as she shook the fence. “If a tiger were to climb, the instability of the fence would cause him to get off because they don’t like unstable surfaces.”

 

The trust is also partnering with IBM, Cisco, and Microsoft to provide video monitoring of the compound.

 

There are no moats or glass walls around the habitats, visitors are separated from the animals by a few feet and a chain link fence. But nobody seemed to mind.

 

“The fence is secure,” said one man with his son.

 

“It’s a much more powerful way to experience the animals,” another said.

 

But nobody disagreed with a tour guide who started the visit warning people the animals are wild and must be respected. No matter how friendly they seemed to be.