Lions Tigers & Bears
Lions Tigers & Bears is an accredited exotic animal sanctuary nestled on 93 acres in Alpine, California. The sanctuary is a no kill, no breed and no contact permanent home for 65+ animals. At the helm, founder and director Bobbi Brink gives the animals she rescues an opportunity to live safe, peaceful lives with dignity – either at her sanctuary or other accredited sanctuaries across the U.S. She is also an active advocate for the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
In March 2020, Netflix released its docuseries, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness.” In the first 10 days, Nielsen reported 34.3 million viewers in the U.S., making it one of the platform’s most successful original shows. While the show glorified the strange subculture of big cat owners and sellers, the sequins, mullets and chaos distracted from the abusive underworld of the exotic trade industry – which exploits majestic creatures for the benefit of their owners.
J. Walcher Communications was brought on to highlight how a quality, reputable animal sanctuary should run – given the general public’s hunger for Tiger King news – and to lead nationwide media outreach efforts to build awareness about how a reputable and accredited animal sanctuary should be run and position founder Brink as an animal advocate, experienced animal rescuer and sanctuary owner and supporter of legislation that helps protect big cats.
Even during a global pandemic that was at the forefront of the news cycle, JWC identified and pursued national media opportunities. Notable coverage results included People, Elite Daily, Washington Post, and the E.W. Scripps Company, which broadcasted its feature story on Lions Tigers & Bears across more than 60 local TV news stations in the U.S.
JWC built and fostered connections with national reporters, such as National Geographic, that have resulted in additional media coverage.
photo by Kathleen Reeder
