A 13-year-old tiger rescued from what critics called the “worst roadside zoo in America” has finally found a new home at the Oakland Zoo.
The big cat, Sitara — whose name means “star” in Hindi — is one of five tigers that authorities say were abandoned and neglected at a private Northern California facility before being rescued.
“Oakland Zoo has successfully transferred these tigers after a private owner reached out to the Zoo for assistance in finding suitable placement, following their abandonment at his facility,” the zoo said in a press release.
“Sitara, a female generic tiger, remains strong, though she is experiencing some lameness in her left hind leg,” the announcement further read.
All five tigers were brought to Oakland Zoo for medical evaluations and treatment before being placed in permanent homes.
A 14-year-old female white tiger suffering from health issues linked to inbreeding was treated at the zoo before being relocated to a sanctuary in Arkansas. An 11-year-old tiger and another 13-year-old tiger were transferred to PAWS, while a fifth female tiger was humanely euthanized because of her condition.
The zoo said it will provide updates on Sitara’s recovery through its social media channels.
Sitara’s rescue marks the latest chapter in the downfall of the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Sanctuary in Oroville, a nonprofit that once claimed to house some of the “rarest and most endangered series on Earth” before shutting its doors in November 2025.
Before the sanctuary closed, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife launched an animal cruelty investigation after rescuers found a severely malnourished tiger cub named Cleo suffering from 10 broken bones.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also sued the sanctuary, alleging its owners “packed up their ESA-listed animals and carted them off the premises, stashing them at other locations to avoid confiscation by government regulators” in July 2025.
“These tigers endured hell on Earth in Kirshner’s clutches, on top of which, when authorities closed in, the roadside zoo shuffled the animals around to other seedy facilities like so many stolen goods,” said PETA Foundation Managing Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler.
