00:00Cam, thank you so much for joining me today. I know just how busy you are, but tell me, Blob's journey is truly remarkable.
00:09What was that critical moment when you realised his life was hanging in the balance and you actually needed to find him a home?
00:18Yeah, I mean, it all started at the end of last year, actually, when Big Cat Sanctuary and Hertfordshire Zoo went in to oversee the rescue operation of 23 cats at the world.
00:28At the Cat Survival Trust in Welling, Hertfordshire. All 23 cats were facing euthanasia if we couldn't find them homes.
00:37The owner there was convicted of animal welfare violations. So, yeah, we had to get in, find homes.
00:43And it is difficult. Trying to find homes for 23 exhausted cats is a huge challenge.
00:49But luckily, great zoos, sanctuaries and rescues and private owners also banded together to give a lot of the cats a forever home.
00:57And it actually came down to the final day with Blob. And that's why his story is so special, because of the 22 of the 23 cats, we managed to find homes for three of which are at the sanctuary, both in Rhys and Frank.
01:09But our sanctuary is full. So we couldn't build another home for him at the time.
01:15So we're really finding, asking everyone, please just take him on temporarily.
01:20And it came down to the last day. I called Lindsay, who'd already taken on a few cats from the Cat Survival Trust.
01:27And I said, please, please, please, is there any way you can just take on Blob temporarily?
01:33And I promise you, I'll find him a home somewhere in the UK or who knows, the Big Cat Sanctuary.
01:38And thankfully, seven months on, we've provided Blob a home here and he's a very happy little bobcat.
01:47That's amazing. And now in his new habitat, what does a fresh start look like for a bobcat coming from such poor conditions as well?
01:57Yeah, back at the Cat Survival Trust, when we first went onto the site, his water was brown.
02:03So he hadn't had fresh water in, I don't know how long. It was all overgrown.
02:10It hadn't been cleaned in months. So the conditions were really poor.
02:14But now he's got two beautiful outsides, a nice house to sleep in.
02:19He's got grass, dense bushes. He's got climbing structures.
02:23So he's got a lovely new home and most importantly, a great team to look after him.
02:27And that's what we're proud of here at the Sanctuary, our excellent keeper team to provide the best welfare and care possible for our cats on site.
02:36Of course, there are lots of rules, regulations, I imagine, around sort of transferring wild animals, big cats.
02:42How do you get around that, that coordination over those months you're trying to rescue him?
02:47That's the admin, I suppose, is a huge part of trying to save a life effectively.
02:51Yeah, I mean, look, to care for exotics, in particular dangerous animals as well, like cats, you even need to have a dangerous wild animal license or fall under the zoo licensing.
03:03So we worked with people who we trust and believe in and know that they have great welfare conditions and places at their sites to take in these cats.
03:13And that's how it how it went down. And we've built a huge contact list over the years of great organizations.
03:19So we're amazed, but also really proud of our sector within wildlife or for exotic animals, all banded together, everyone to try and give a second chance to these cats.
03:31And it happened. You know, 23 of the cats have forever homes, which is beautiful.
03:37And Blob is a happy boy right now.
03:40Yeah. And to support those animals in the Big Cat Sanctuary, you have your open days.
03:45What do you hope, though, visitors learn from Blob's story and the sanctuary's work as well?
03:50Because it's more than just opening the gates to let people see these incredible animals.
03:56There's a really important message, of course.
03:59The message is clear and is to protect big and small cats globally, not just here outside.
04:06And it is thanks to people that come to the open days that we're able to do what we do.
04:10Which is provide homes for Blob, Frank, the five lions that we rescued from the war in Ukraine is because of everyone's support.
04:19And that's not just people that come to the open days, but people in Kent, across the UK and globally.
04:25You know, we've had people from Australia come specifically to come and see the five lions that we rescued from Ukraine.
04:30So without that, we wouldn't be able to achieve the things that we are achieving as a sanctuary and as an organisation.
04:36So we're incredibly proud of that.
04:37But look, it is about education.
04:39When people come on site, we want to make sure that they are going away knowing the issues that are facing big cats,
04:46what we do in sport and how they can help.
04:48And inspiring the future generation to, you know, be champions and advocates for not just cats, but nature.
04:57And you do a lot of that yourself on social media, online, sharing what you're doing behind the scenes as well.
05:03Do you think that attention that it gets on social media really helps the cause?
05:07Yeah, look, I'm really fortunate to be in the position that I'm in.
05:11I've grown up around wildlife my whole life.
05:13I get to do some amazing things.
05:16You know, last month I was diving with whale sharks and manta rays in the Maldives and seeing the work going on there to protect those species.
05:23So, yeah, it's awesome.
05:26And I can just take those bite-sized moments, put them on social media and try and, you know, put a bit of joy in the world because there is a lot of negativity at times.
05:35So, it's to make people fall in love with wildlife, but also go to the HMI and see what they can do to protect it.
05:42And so many people have messaged me, which is great, and said that, you know, they've changed their career and they're now working with animals,
05:49whether it be a zoo or a sanctuary or an NGO, a conservation organisation or a nature organisation.
05:54So, I think that's the most special part of it all is that not just what I'm doing on social media,
05:59but what the Big Cat Sanctuary is doing is actually having an impact on people's lives.
06:03So, it's special.
06:04Definitely.
06:05And, Cam, I have to ask you, and you can't be diplomatic about it, who's your favourite cat?
06:12You know the lion.
06:13She's the lion that we rescued from Ukraine.
06:17She's the special one for me.
06:18I'm madly in love with her.
06:20And she's changing my life.
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