Exotic animals travel to Getzville
by CHRISTINE A. SETLOCK Intern

Kristy Wisniewski, 23, reaches both hands through the fence and caresses the head of the 400-pound tiger as if she were petting a dog.

The tiger, named Sebastian, belongs to Call of the Wild Sanctuary in Chautauqua County but will be coming to John and Mary's Subs, 2363 Millersport Highway in Getzville, from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 along with another tiger named Shantal and a black bear cub.

Wisniewski's natural ability with the tiger comes from growing up with exotic animals in Sinclairville, N.Y., a small, rural town south of Dunkirk where she and her family run a nonprofit wildlife refuge. She is one of three people in her family who can interact so closely with Sebastian.

"(Tigers) are very smart, intelligent, affectionate animals," said Wisniewski. "You can tell when they're mad. You can tell when they're sad."

The upcoming Getzville exhibit is part of the tigers' summer itinerary, which has included visits to John and Mary's Subs in Alden and Riverside Park carnival in Buffalo.

Wisniewski said she watches over the animals' comfort level closely when on the road. One tiger doesn't like the sight of fireworks and becomes uneasy, but for the most part, the animals become excited about road trips and start to play, she said.

"They kind of box around with each other, and they wrestle," said Wisniewski.

Visitors can view the tigers and black bear cub while ordering subs at John and Mary's or be treated to popcorn and cotton candy. A raffle will be held for two mountain bikes, donated by Coca-Cola. There will also be an array of sanctuary memorabilia for sale.

The tigers' home sanctuary is nestled in the hills, past miles of sprawling vineyards, an hour's drive from Buffalo.

A one-hour tour of the facility is offered for a minimum suggested donation of $5. The facility houses two female lions, three wolves, three bears, and a black leopard in addition to its 12 tigers.

"Eventually, it's going to be a natural habitat," said Donna Ostrye, who lives close to the compound and has been volunteering there since February 2006.

Sanctuaries such as the Sinclairville refuge help displaced exotic animals find a home. One lioness was a government seizure from the Department of Environmental Conservation, obtained when someone failed to renew the state license.

Others, such as the tiger Sasha, are abused. She had an owner in upstate New York who beat her into a corner, making her angry and vicious.

"She was in terrible condition," Wisniewski said. "When they were trying to load her, they had to put another lining of caging over the caging they had."

The Getzville tour is an educational exhibit to teach about exotic animals both in captivity and the wild and raise awareness for endangered animals.

"It's scary to think that you can go on the Internet, spend $10,000, and get yourself a tiger cub," said Ostrye.

Exotic wildlife cubs are often bought in such a way and exploited in photo shoots, with no provision for the cub once it is grown.

The sanctuary is limited in the number of animals it can take in and in need of grant writers to help work toward its expansion.

Wisniewski said the sanctuary is raising funds this summer to help pay for better facilities at the habitat, plans which include the addition of a swimming pond for the tigers.