Twenty years ago, Nick Sculac opened a center to train mountain lions for Hollywood. However, he soon became unhappy about the exotic animal trade, and Serenity Springs in Calhan, Colo., turned into not just a training center but also a home for big cats and other displaced or mistreated exotic animals.The facility is currently home to 130 exotic animals ñ 120 are big cats. The center has grown from 75 to 130 residents in the past six years. Sculac said he tries hard to never say ìnoî to animals in need of relocation.Serenity Springs holds a United States Department of Agriculture license for taking in exotic animals; the center is able to accommodate just about every species of wildlife. The animals come from a variety of places: other facilities that have closed for one reason or another, space issues at facilities and occasionally from private owners. Once the animals are brought to Serenity Springs, it becomes their forever home.The big cat population requires plenty of food. Local grocers from across the Front Range donate food. ìThey pull meat before its rendering date if they know it won’t sell,î said Devon DeVries, Serenity Springs’ staff member. The practice ensures the cats have fresh food. Once the meat arrives at the center, it is packed in bins ñ bones and all ñ and frozen into blocks. The bones provide the cats with calcium and other vitamins. The blocks are served frozen, which means the animals have to work at getting a meal, like they would in the wild. DeVries said the bigger cats eat about 15 pounds in one day, which adds up to about a ton of donated meat.Serenity Springs is a 501-c (3) organization and does not receive state or federal funding. The center relies on donations, fundraisers and tours.On weekends, tours run three times a day: 9 and 11 a.m.; and 3 p.m. The tours are $10 per person. The tours not only provide the funds to maintain day-to-day operations but also enrich the catsí lives, DeVries said.The cats look forward to the weekend tours, since they offer a change of pace, he said. Brook Horton, a volunteer studying to be a zookeeper, said the best tour is the earliest in the morning, when it is cool and the cats are ready to play. They also offer special tours for the more adventurous. For visitors 16 years or older, feeding tours are available: Itís common for a cat to rush the fence as he is being fed. For a less intense but more personal tour call ahead for photographic opportunities.Other fundraisers throughout the year include animal adoptions, where one can vicariously adopt a cat. The adopter receives a color print of the animal, a letter about its story and opportunities to visit the adoptee. Serenity Springs also accepts donations of several varieties. Monetary donations are always welcome, as are more unusual donations for enrichment like bowling balls over 16 pounds, beer kegs and tires without metal wire or studs. These items provide the cats with activity and stimulation normally found in the wild through hunting. ìThat would be their big project in the wild,î DeVries said.This month is the center’s 20th anniversary. On July 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the center is hosting a party that includes live music, face painting, pony rides, a bounce house and a water slide. There will also be photo ops with the baby tigers. The public can only handle cubs under 3 months and 35 pounds, so itís important to come in while they are young.Serenity Springs is still unknown among some, but the word is spreading, DeVries said, especially when the calls of the wild cats can be heard for miles.
