Terrence Moore, dubbed “Britain’s Tiger King,” has been handed an animal ban following a “long and complex” investigation after cat carcasses were found in a facility freezer at his cat sanctuary in Hertfordshire, and other cats were riddled with diseases
Britain’s ‘Tiger King’ big cat sanctuary founder has been handed an animal ban after officials made a horrifying freezer discovery.
Founder of the Cat Survival Trust charity in Hertfordshire, 78-year-old Terrence Moore, hasn’t allowed vets to visit the site for several years after claiming the animals did not get sick. Instead, he often used homeopathic product called Traumeel to treat some of his animals. This is used for human acute musculoskeletal injuries, but isn’t for any other species.
Animal authorities visited the site, and to their horror, found his surviving population of big cats suffering from diseases and dozens of those less lucky stored in a facility freezer. He has now been banned from keeping animals after he was found to have caused unnecessary suffering by failing to seek appropriate medical care.
As a result of his cruelty, Mr Moore can’t keep animals for a minimum of five years after he was found guilty of four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals by failing to seek proper and necessary veterinary care. He was convicted on animal welfare charges related to a Wildcat named Hamish, a Bengal Cat named Jasmine, a Jungle Cat named Lily and an unnamed Caracal, the Daily Mirror reported.
However, he was cleared of eight counts, namely two against a Snow Leopard, and single counts against a Jaguar, an Amur Leopard, a Eurasian Lynx Kitten, a Hybrid Cat, Geese, and a Serval. The disqualification order was brought into effect on January 23 following a three-week trial at St Albans Crown Court last year.
The investigation into practices at the 12-acre site was initiated by intelligence submitted by the National Wildlife Crime Unit in February 2022. Detective Constable Beth Talbot said: “I am pleased the jury reached a guilty verdict on a number of counts in what has been a complex and unique case.
“It is clear from the evidence that the Cat Survival Trust was poorly run. Terrence Moore knew how endangered these species were, understood their vulnerability to exploitation and should have been there to protect them. However, several animals at the site were in a sorry state and suffered at the hands of a man who should have looked after them.
“This case showed how Moore had a distaste for modern veterinary medicine and failed to hold accurate records of his animals, some of which face extinction in the wild. The sanctuary should have been a safe haven.” Senior Crown Prosecutor in CPS Thames and Chiltern, Jan Muller, added: “Moore exploited some of the animals in his care, leaving them to suffer unnecessarily.
“Evidence showed him failing to source much-needed medical help for some of the big cats he was responsible for. These animals were forced to live in squalor and Moore neglected them to such an extent that some died from illnesses that could have been treated.”