TOM III was a gift to the Tiger Guard from the Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue and Educational Center in Rock Springs, Wisconsin. This licensed, non-profit sanctuary is home to about 30 large cats, mostly Tigers, including TOM III's parents Thor and Vixie who are long-time companions.
Since the goal of any reputable sanctuary is to limit the population of new Tigers in captivity, Vixie was on birth control. Unfortunately, the birth control failed, and she became pregnant with the litter of cubs that would include TOM III and his two brothers. They were born on August 31, 2008.
Jeff Kozlowski, founder of Wisconsin Big Cats, saw the news of TOM II's death on ESPN. Knowing that the Tiger Guard would provide a good home for one of his new cubs, Jeff contacted us to offer one of the young Tigers to serve as TOM III. We flew to Wisconsin to meet TOM III and bring him home on October 23, 2008.
You can visit Wisconsin Big Cats at www.wisconsinbigcats.org.