Bluegrass

From Vegas Strip to rural Texas

by | Jul 13, 2023 | Latest, News

In-Sync picked to rehome exotic cats

Timba, a 9-year-old white lion, took part in the Saturday, July 8, Watermelon Bash at In-Sync Exotics where he now lives with his “Vegas family” and 75 other exotic cats. Photo by Tammy Spencer/In-Sync Exotic 

Two months ago, Madiba, Timba-Masai, Shadow, Neruda and Ibasa left their upscale home on Vegas’ Sunset Strip for a much simpler life in Wylie where they will spend their remaining years playing with friends, taking the occasional dip in the pool and being cared for by a team of dedicated individuals.

The two male 9-year-old white lions and three leopards, a 14-year-old melanistic (black) leopard and two 19-year-old spotted leopards, once residents of the famed Siegfried & Roy’s (SR) Secret Garden at the iconic Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, are now residents of In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center.

The quietly orchestrated relocation of the cats, once owned by Las Vegas performers Siegfried & Roy, was officially announced Wednesday, July 5, by the nonprofit. 

In-Sync Founder and Director Vicky Keahey said she was first contacted by the SR Mirage Hotel team about the animals in March, four months after the hotel leadership teams announced its plans to permanently close the Secret Garden.

In November 2022 prior to the official sale, Franz Kallo, interim president of The Mirage, and Hard Rock Las Vegas President Joe Lupo sent a letter to hotel employees stating that the “health, safety and well-being of the [Secret Garden] animals is our top priority.” The duo said that they planned to work proactively together to permanently relocate the animals to new homes “where  they will continue to be loved and cared for by well-trained, highly respected animal care professionals and veterinary experts.”

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