In January the IFAW jumped in to help with the rescue of Riverglen Tiger Sanctuary's 30 big cats. IFAW gave a matching grant of $40,000! Turpentine Creek supporters met the match in record time to raise a total of $80,000. Thanks IFAW and their staff for all they do for animals world wide.
After just a few minutes Tanya Smith relayed Betty's final decision on which two tigers were to be moved, Lilly and JoElla. Since Lilly was closest to the trailer we started with her. Emily McCormack and Scott Smith took turns passing the pole syringe back and forth until Lilly finally presented her rear end and Emily responded perfectly with a sedative injection. With the perfect amount of sedative on board Lilly remained motionless for her 125 foot trip to the rescue trailer.
Lilly is not a light tiger, in fact she probably topped five hundred pounds. To complicate things there were three doors plus two trailer doors to manuver Lilly's limp body through. It was tough for 8 people, each holding a handle, to lift and squeeze through the narrow passages while monitoring Lilly at the same time.
No time was wasted. TCWR staff checked Lilly over well (a bad canine was noted for immediate attention), took a blood sample, and headed straight to get ready for JoElla. JoElla, like Lilly, is not a small tiger. Actually, she is a bit bigger than Lilly. JoElla was startled by her shot and jumped up on top of her den and snarled. As the sedative began taking affect she began to slowly pour off the top of the den, into the 12 inch gap between the den and the fence. Two steel bars were used to steady JoElla while the sedative continued to overcome the droopy tiger's ability to move. At this point TCWR staff inched her heavy body into a safe position and then began to tear the cage wall down. The doors were too close together and too small to get her out any other way. Just minutes later the wall came crashing down and the 8 team members jump right in and slowly lowered her to the ground. (That is much easier written than done!) JoElla was then rolled over onto a MegaMover and carried to the trailer just feet away. She was then examined and, like the rest, given fluids and stabilized for the journey to Turpentine Creek.
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This big cat lived his life in the back woods of Arkansas he lived in total seclusion for 12 years. I can only imagine how it must have been for poor Turbo all those years in total insulation and caged for breeding purposes.
(click below to donate)
http://www.turpentinecreek.org/index.php/donations
For more info on how you can continue to support these Big Cats Rescued from Riverglen Tiger Sanctuary please contact Turpentine Creek Wldlife Refuge .....Thank you
http://www.turpentinecreek.org/
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