Dana Wynen has been volunteering at the National Tiger Sanctuary (NTS) for almost two years now. The NTS recently made a move to Branson, Mo. where 5 tigers are housed.
Rory Sullivan
– Staff Writer –
Taking care of a pet such as a dog or cat is a responsibility that can be both difficult as well as rewarding. Providing them with food, water, care, as well as cleaning up after them properly can require a lot of attention.
One student at STLCC-Meramec, however, has dedicated her time outside of class not to care for just household pets, but also for tigers.
For a few years, Dana Wynen has been volunteering at the National Tiger Sanctuary (NTS), which recently made a move to Branson, Mo.
“I decided about two years ago that my major was going to be wildlife biology. My boyfriend took me to the tiger sanctuary. I instantly fell in love, vowed to get an internship, and that winter I did,” Wynen said.
Wynen has been working with the Outdoors Club at Meramec for the past few months to set up a fundraiser for the sanctuary.
According to Wynen, there are many things that the money could go toward.
“We need a lot of money for building the facilities that we have because we have another four or five tigers coming down very soon,” Wynen said. “The building material is rather expensive to build tiger enclosures.”
The sanctuary already holds seven cats, one of which being a white tiger, and another being a mountain lion. Wynen said the NTS is also looking to build areas for visitors.
“We’re opening up to the public in the summer so we have to have the visitor center ready to go,” Wynen said. “The tiger sanctuary shut its doors in St. Genevieve back in October. It’s a not-for-profit organization, so all revenue has been gone since October.”
In order to get a fundraiser started, the cause must be supported by a club at Meramec. For the NTS, Wynen has been working with Jillian Anderson, vice president of the Outdoors Club. Anderson said Meramec Cares chooses a charity to donate their weekly profits every Thursday.
Although this month the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Inc. is being featured, Anderson said she believes next month will feature the tiger sanctuary.
Anderson admitted that she is not too informed on the NTS, but said the cause is relevant to the outdoors club.
“I am the vice president of the outdoors club and it is my job to seek community service opportunities for our members. I actually do not know very much about the issue, but I love tigers. Also, the Tiger Sanctuary provides opportunities for people to get involved,” Anderson said.
As one of the few consistent volunteers, Wynen said the sanctuary will take all the help it can get.
“A lot of our volunteers and interns are college students, so they always have to go back to school,” Wynen said. “Right now I’m the only consistent volunteer.”
According to http://nationaltigersanctuary.org/, tiger conservations are vital not only to the survival of tigers, but to the environment in which it lives.
“The tiger depends on the forest and in turn the forest depends on the tiger. If the tiger becomes extinct, all other flora and fauna will quickly go the same way.”
