In July 2011 EFRC staff made a 2,100-mile trip to a rural Texas location to rescue four lions—three females and one male. They were joined by a number of cougars who were loaded and transported by the EFRC team to a rescue center in New Jersey. The lions settled into their new homes at EFRC after the lengthy journey.
It was not an ideal time to visit Texas. The heat indexes were well over one hundred degrees both there and back during the week of the rescue. To handle the trip and temperatures with maximum safety and minimal stress to the cats, a refrigerated semi truck was used, and the cats enjoyed a cool, comfortable ride during their multistate journey. A long trip always requires a snack, of course, and we turned some heads in an Arkansas Walmart with a substantial purchase of raw chicken, prompting the cashier to suggest that we were going to have one impressive barbecue.
The lions required extensive veterinary care due to prior neglect. Both Lola and d’Artagnan were taken to the University of Illinois for treatment, and both spent some time at our on-site clinic as well. At an estimated age of twenty-two, d’Artagnan was one of the oldest cats ever to be rescued by EFRC. He was much happier after the removal of an infected tooth.
Claire and Kizmin, January 20, 2016