Caruso was born in a German safari park in 2006 and taken to a circus where he was hand-raised. Since he preferred to play rather than learn tricks, he was considered unsuitable for the circus. Therefore, he was brought to Nijeberkoop in 2008, at the tender age of two years. He had to come a long way to be where he is now: home.

When he just arrived in the Netherlands, he again had to live under unsuitable circumstances. When we first met Caruso at the end of 2013, he lived in a very small enclosure with no distractions and no proper care. He was stressed and showed a lot of stereotypical behaviour. Fortunately, after FOUR PAWS took over the rescue centre and named it FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary, we were soon able to give Caruso’s life a positive turn. We provided him with a bigger enclosure with a small swimming pool, enrichment to play with and large platforms to lie on. He made good use of this! Thanks to the love, attention and specialised care, he changed completely. Years of intensive care and medical procedures have paid off: Caruso finally became the tough, beautiful tiger he should be.

These improvements had one goal: to give Caruso the best possible life. When Caruso finally recovered from his traumatic past, he was ready for the next step: a transfer to LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa! Prior to the greatest journey of his life, Caruso was trained to voluntarily enter his transport crate. In this way, a risky anaesthetic could be prevented and stress was minimised. In March 2019, Caruso arrived into his new, large and species-appropriate home in LIONSROCK where he can run, play and swim to his heart’s content.

Caruso has adapted well to his new environment and is a very playful and happy tiger. He enjoys to eat, nap, explore and repeat! He also enjoys to ‘spy’ on his neighbor tiger Laziz, who was rescued by FOUR PAWS from a zoo in Gaza in 2016. What a wonderful life!

We are deeply saddened by the loss of the beautiful tiger, a beloved resident of LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary. Caruso lived in South Africa since end of March 2019, and soon became fond of the big pool in his new home. With plenty of free-roaming game in the nearby plains, the beautiful tiger finally had the opportunity to enjoy a good life in a natural environment. Despite the physical and mental scars of his past, Caruso remained a friendly tiger with a strong will and a gentle heart. We are very proud that he could spend the last four years of his life at LIONSROCK. He will be deeply missed.

Rest in peace, Caruso. We are grateful for the time we had with you and will always treasure the memories.