My guide at the now-infamous (on this blog, at any rate) Carolina Tiger Rescue.  The tour had such a big impact on me that I took at least a hundred pictures while hiking up and down and around, avoiding fire ants and trying to see EVERYTHING there was to see of the mountain lions, Bengal tigers, bear cats, servals, and many more types of wild cats.

Ruth has been working at the tiger rescue for many years, and at one point “adopted” a newborn cub named Eliza, who she said would suck on her finger.  When Eliza reached a certain age she was put into her enclosure and Ruth would never touch her again, although whenever she was near, Eliza would sense her presence and start to roar.  When Eliza died, she was cremated and her ashes sit in an urn in Ruth’s living room.

Ruth is a remarkable woman with an enormous heart and radiant inner strength.  When I first saw her she looked very slight, frail almost, but that impression quickly evaporated as I saw her command of the environment.  Because of people like Ruth, the magnificent animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue now have a decent life, with a large enclosure to roam in, good food, medical care, and no danger of being exploited or outright killed.

– the Daily Grunge