It all started 20 years ago when Judy Berens decided she
wanted an ocelot for a pet.
She was a horse woman and with her large ranch, it
didn’t seem like a difficult thing to accomplish. Little did she know that it
would require a state license, several forms and over 1000 volunteer
hours at zoos and other animal facilities.
Perhaps it was their keen searing eyes, their satin smooth
coat or beautiful symmetrical markings that made her want one so. All the red
tape was worth it and she became the owner of her first ocelot named Sabrina. Of course, one
ocelot is never enough, so Cody and Macho followed.
Thus began Ms. Berens’s
menagerie of felines whose population has grown to over 16 in number. These
exotics include cheetahs, jaguars, clouded leopards, pumas, caracas, leopards
and servals, all residing on her ranch. What started as a hankering for one ocelot has turned into a mission of preservation and education of the plight of these wildcats. The ocelot population, for example, has dwindled to a mere 35 in the US. At one time their pelts were coveted as coats and it took 200 ocelots to make one coat.
I met Judy in the kitchen of her cat compound where she was preparing
snacks for a tour. A smart safari hat,
crisp khaki shirt and pearl stud earrings gave her the air of not just tour
guide, but Chief Magistrate of her pantherinae colony; queen supreme of her
kitty kingdom. Though she acted as their
royal ruler, she was also humble servant. For here she was prepping meals in
their spacious kitchen serving her loyal whiskered subjects.
In short, she was their super-hero.
While chopping stew meat, she explained a wildcat’s
diet. Stacks of silver bowls dotted the table and one caught my eye. Fuzzy yellow chicks and furry mice spilled
over the rim. They weren't moving.
“Are these their appetizers and small plates?” I asked.
“Tapas,” she quipped. “The main course is beef, salmon and other fish.”
Trying not to feel sorry for the bowl of chicks and mice, unruffled, I asked, “Who is your food
supplier?”
“Cheney Brothers and Costco.” She then held up a zip-lock with a fresh
portion of salmon. “I got this at Costco. No Kibble for these guys!”
“Oh," I said, ”I’m actually headed to Costco after this to pick up a slab of salmon for company tomorrow.” (For us humans, it's salmon for special
occasions. For these cats, it's daily fare).
On top of this grade-A meal, she sprinkled fish oil, bone
meal, pro-biotics and digestive enzymes to promote health and ward off
pancreatic problems, which can be an issue. If the cats get sick, they see Stephanie Johnson at an
Animal Clinic in Lake Worth. “She’s a wiz!” Judy added.
A mom and son duo joined us as the tour started. Other than
that, the complex was practically void of homo sapiens. Yet, the grounds were impeccably
maintained. Mulch covered the animal spaces and walkways. The dark wood fencing
was freshly painted; the black chain-link enclosures in perfect condition.
Garden chairs and Adirondack seating areas were strategically placed, enhancing the park-like setting.
I asked
about her staffing. She has a few
interns helping and was looking to hire one who was a veterinarian
graduate. “Besides that, it’s just me--slave labor.”
Ms. ‘slave-labor’ is hardly on that level, and she chose her post of loving service intentionally, eyes wide open. Born in Minnesota, she was educated at Vassar, then achieved her MBA at the University of Miami. A resident of Wellington since 1994, she has been active in the equestrian community showing horses.
Now, she shows cats.
Our first visit was to Charlie, the Cheetah. Ms. Berens tells
us he’s a third generation captivity-born cat from South Africa. He made his 39 hour journey to the US in a
small crate. Charlie is ten years old. Most
cheetahs have a lifespan of eight. Cheetah are the second largest of purring cats. She enters
his cage through a safety entrance and crouches down to feed and caress the
huge feline.
“Charlie loves to be primped and pampered,” she says
brushing his head with a hairbrush. “Most cheetahs can sprint zero to 60 miles per
hour in three seconds. They have an elliptical tail which serves as a rudder and adds torque to their hairpin
turns, speeding up to 70 miles per hour. But Charlie? Charlie is slow. He prefers to lounge; be groomed and get room
service. And why not? If those services were offered to you, wouldn’t
you accept?” Judy asks with a wink.
Charlie nibbled his tapas, enjoying the massage. Cheetahs are hypercarnivors, meaning they require high levels of protein to survive. Charlie gets three meat-heavy meals a day.
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The next cage we visited housed the Puma, the 2nd fastest cat next to the Cheetah. They reach up to 45 miles per hour and are the world's best soccer players. That's right. Give them a ball and they show their amazing athletic abilities. His favorite 'ball' is a watermelon, which after a Kobe Bryant - like dribble around the cage usually ends up cracked open and consumed.
The puma's name differs depending on its region. In California it goes by Mountain Lion. Florida calls the cat a panther. Other areas the feline goes by cougar. We met Brandy Lion and Dandy Lion and watched them relish their rodent delicacies.
Across the walkway we met the beautiful Isabella. She was as gorgeous a specimen of a jaguar could be with her dramatic spots and irregular dotted markings. Jaguars are considered the 'pit bull' of the cat family due to their chunky body and strength of bite. You don't want to mess with them, for sure. That's not likely to happen because of their endangered status. Most serious is in New Mexico where only 75 to 100 are said to roam.
Jaguars are also wonderful swimmers, navigating water and land with equal skill.
Next door lived Amos, a black leopard, velvety and mysterious. These cats are so agile and strong they can carry prey up a tree or balance themselves while sleeping on a branch.
But, like the story of so many, they are a disappearing breed. In 1950 there were half a million worldwide. Now, there are less than 20,000.
Well in to our tour, I was once again struck by the cohesive lay-out of the grounds, I wondered where Ms. Berens got her design know-how for the compound.
"I have a lot of friends in zoos," she quipped.
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| Egyptian Serval - Photo credit: www.nabcs.org |
We then saw the African Servals and Caracals. The Egyptian Serval was especially curious looking with its satellite dish-like ears. They are so sensitive the cat has been known to swat and catch birds mid-flight. The Egyptians would use them to prey on rats and other rodents in their granaries.
As if it wasn't enough to house, feed and care for these many cats, Judy Berens also donates to other organizations and programs that help cats in the wild. It is her goal to educate people about the incredible depletion of the species that she is witnessing.
"Unless we all get involved, these iconic animals will be gone in the next 20 years."
Judy Berens is living out her passion for exotic feline preservation and promoting awareness to save the wildcat world.
Cat Woman to the rescue!!
Join Judy's mission. For more information and ways to get involved visit her beautiful compound at 14755 Palm Beach Point Blvd, Wellington, FL 33414. Tours can be scheduled at the Panther Ridge website. http://www.pantherridge.org/
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