Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Scenes from the
second annual
Shining Stars
Festival on
Saturday &
Sunday June
7 and 8.
The event is a
fund-raiser
for various
children’s
organizations
in the valley.
Wildwood owner Bonnie Ringo with cat splash pool (Photo by Steve Fairchild)
New digs make splash for exotic cats
(Continued from page 1)
before being placed are re-
turned to Wildwood.
Like most businesses in
the valley, Wildwood was hurt
financially by the Biscuit Fire
last year.
Bonnie hopes business
will pick up this year and she
is determined to put Wild-
wood on the map as a tourist
destination.
The Ringos don’t make
much money from public
tours. In fact, last year they
barely made enough to cover
their liability insurance, Bon-
nie said.
“In Cave Junction we are
blessed to have one of the rar-
est tiger exhibits in our own
backyard,” she said. “With a
little help from the public
(volunteers) this can be a
beautiful show place.”
Each of the animals at
Wildwood is treated like a
family pet. Bonnie walked
around petting the cats and
gently talking to them to make
them feel comfortable.
It took more than a week
to move all the cats into their
new homes. While they were
in the middle of the move the
Ringos were preoccupied with
other problems — a baby cat
that they had placed came
back to them with a sickness
that took extra time to treat.
It’s just another typical
day at Wildwood where the
animals require 200 pounds of
meat per day.
This summer Wildwood
will add a “splash with the
tigers” show in which the
Ringo’s daughter, Abijah, 19,
will swim with tigers in a 45-
by-25 foot concrete pool com-
plete with a tall waterfall to
act as a backdrop.
The pool has been in place
for two years, but this will be
the first year for the show.
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make this goodly Earth into an
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- Richard Aldington -
Abijah said that she is not
afraid to swim with the cats
since she has been swimming
and interacting with them
since she was a young girl.
The Ringo’s other daugh-
ter, Anna, 18, also helps take
care of the animals.
The swimming show is
the closest the Ringos come to
using animals in a “show.”
Bonnie is passionate about
making sure the cats are
treated naturally and made to
feel comfortable in their
home.
“These animals were not
meant to jump through hoops
on command or perform at the
end of a whip,” she said. “We
don’t believe in hauling them
around to perform in circus
acts to please the public, but
rather we allow them to ex-
hibit natural behavior suitable
for their species.
“Tigers love to swim,” she
added of the swimming with
tigers show. “They love to
play ball; this is natural be-
havior.”
Now that the new enclo-
sures are in place, the Ringos
can focus on even bigger ex-
pansion ideas.
Plans for Wildwood in-
clude bringing in a sea lion
exhibit and a shark tank with
glassed-bottom bumper boats.
The pool would include
non-threatening species of
sharks in a 30-by-40 foot pool
12 to 15 feet deep. The idea
for the shark tank came from
an exhibit in Long Beach,
Calif. and would add to the
educational interaction of the
park, Bonnie said.
Happy Father’s Day
Sunday, June 15
Page 9
1. Mary Ahlers, Ken
Lewis, Home Valley Bank, 57
2. Buster Short, Bruce
Kates, Cedar Row Farm, 56
3. Bob Hurt, Mark Pavlak,
Hometowne Interiors, 55
4. Ed Weitzel, Arnold
Mellow, Klamath First Fed-
eral, 53
5. Paul Miller, Alex Pon-
der, Patricks Creek Lodge, 45
6. Charlie McDonald,
Mark Lewis, Lewis Power
Equipment, 42
7. Harold Harrop, Jared
Kinkade, Liz’s Outdoor Power
Equipment, 36
8. Ron Sollenbarger,
Danny Tucker, Klamath First
Federal, 34
9. Mike Hohm, Gary
Noleroth, Mike Hohm Produc-
tions, 34
10. Jeff Davis, Kit Fluck,
Wild River Brewing and Pizza
Co., 26
11. Paul Bohey, Joey
Brown, P&J’s Par Salvage, 24
12. Bruce Boucher, Bill
Quate, Lube-N-Shine, 15
13. Perry Pullen, Daryl
Ponder, PJ’s Café, 12
* * *
1. Jay Miller, Paul Miller,
Miller Construction, 63
2. Zach Morton, Joe
Wylie, Midnight Oasis, 56
3. Ron Hults, Neil
Dierkes, True Value Hard-
ware, 53
4. Roger Hults, Bill Hults,
BNR and R.W. & B. Con-
struction, 48.
5. Terry Taylor, Ken Ho-
back, Taylor’s Country Store,
48
6. Jim Graham, Joe
Crutchfield, Crutchfield Con-
struction, 47
7. Chuck Taylor, Scott
Taylor, Taylor’s Sausage, 42
8. Terry Reynolds, Ursal
Miller, Lewis Power Equip-
ment, 40
9. Vern Klicker, Dan
Klicker, Creative Wildlife
Studio, 37
10. Bill McMorrine, Ray
Buckley, J.D. Sports Pub, 33
11. Bob McGregor,
George Mosier, Design Draft-
ing Service, 31
12. Jared Kinkade, Lou
Trujillo, I.V. Golf Course, 31
13. Joe Hoezle, Charlie
Stoop, Dr. Joe’s Pet Hospital,
27
14. Bob Muswieck, Randy
Hansen, Daves Outdoor
Power Equipment, 18
15. Charlie Gill, Jason
Gill, Clouser Drilling, 13.
I.V. Golf Course
The Illinois Valley Golf
Association Board meeting
will be held Tuesday, June 17,
at 6 p.m. The meeting will be
held at the golf course club-
house. Meetings are open to
the public. Come see the im-
provements to the grounds and
clubhouse.
For more information
phone Arnold Mellow at 592-
3525.
Garden Club
Illinois Valley Garden
Clubs’ annual potluck picnic
will be held on June 13 at 11
a.m. at Grayback Camp-
ground. Dinner will begin at 2
p.m. Bring a dish to share and
a place service. Coffee and tea
will be served. Officers that
will be installed include: Edith
Martin, president; Darlene
Milner, secretary and Diana
Reitan, treasurer. Greg Crowl
received this year’s I.V. Gar-
den Club scholarship.
Bring your problems in a sealed container
Saturday, June 14 & 28 (28th - hanging plant demo.),
July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23
and Sept. 6 and 20
Master Gardeners’ Clinic
exclusively at
Family Tree Garden Center
441 S. Junction Avenue - 592-3799
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Monday - Saturday
Noon to 3 p.m. - Sunday