Chapter Five

One Step Closer to Freedom

“Start an intravenous drip, stat!”

Though I’m weary and feel sleepy, I can still hear Dr. Erika Koenig, the veterinarian, calling out orders to the animal technicians. I don’t know how I got here, but I’m lying on a table surrounded by Jonathan, Tina, and other people I don’t know. I feel like I’m drowning. It’s hard to breathe.

Now someone has put a mask over my face and oxygen is flowing. Ah, that’s better. It’s easier to breathe now. Something has gone wrong with my kidneys, and I’m very sick. I can’t remember the last time I felt like eating. Imagine a lion losing his appetite! Lately, I’ve been thirsty all the time, and I haven’t felt like my jolly self for awhile now. Luckily, Jonathan noticed I wasn’t feeling right. Dr. Koenig says I’m in renal failure. Just when life is getting better…leave it to me to get sick.

Thank goodness, though, I was helped before it was too late. With the good care of the doctor and her staff, I only had to spend a few weeks in the hospital, and now I’m ready to go home. Yea! I can’t wait to see Sheena and the rest of my friends, and I’ve missed our romping and play times. I wonder how Billy the baboon is doing. Here comes Jonathan with the big truck to pick me up. I’m ready and willing to obey his commands and to get in the travel crate, because I know I’m going home.

The drive seems extra long back to our home. Maybe it’s just because I have been kind of out of it for awhile now.

“We’re here!” Jonathan is yelling out the open window in the cab of the truck. Here? Where’s here? This isn’t my home. What happened to my home? I don’t understand what’s going on. Where are my friends? I feel panicked. Where’s Billy the baboon and those irritating monkeys? I’m snarling now, looking through the bars of my travel crate, because I’m very upset.

As we drive down a short dirt road, we pass a small, reddish brown building on one side and a tan and brown one on the opposite side of the road. We drive very slowly and, from the truck, I can see Sampson in a large, natural-looking habitat. He isn’t restricted to a small enclosure anymore, and neither are my other friends. Never in my life have I known that kind of freedom! Our wooden sleeping boxes are inside the enclosures, but the amount of space shared by each animal group in their habitats is amazing. We stop, and Jonathan gets out of the truck. Tina and the keepers are now helping to move my crate onto a trailer that is hooked onto a small vehicle that Jonathan is now driving. The team walks beside us as we drive a short way and stop near a fenced habitat. There are my good friends, Hope and Natasha! Oh, it’s so good to see them and it is enough to calm my nerves. I let out a big happy rumble and r–aow to let them know I’m okay.

“This is your new home, Elvis!” Tina exclaims. She seems quite happy, and this puts any fears I have left to rest. Now my crate is being moved into a new habitat where I’m now being released. It’s very close and next door to Hope’s. My biggest surprise is that the beautiful Sheena and I are sharing one habitat. Now, I know I’m in heaven!

“Hello, my friend,” she moans with short spurts of excitement in her voice.

“What is this, Sheena? What’s this all about?”

“Home,” she said. “Welcome, my dear friend, to your new home.”

§ § § § § §

Everyone has gone back to doing the daily chores, and I have a chance now to look around a bit. One paw at a time, I step out into the rocky desert habitat. I keep walking straight ahead—another step—okay, one more. Wow! I take more and more steps. I can’t believe it! I’m running! Hey, what’s that thing with the fuzzy long tail? It looks like fun; I think I’ll chase it. Yes, I’m running and chasing it! What fun this is!

Oh, what is this new life? Suddenly, I have a newfound freedom I’ve only ever dreamed about. Not sure what to do next, but I think I’ll join Sheena on the boulder over there. Yes, I’ll jump on it and sit for as long as I want! I wish I could ask Jonathan if I can stay here in this wonderful piece of freedom. Though Sheena has already told me I can, I still need the reassurance of Jonathan. I no longer think of him as my master—just a good and loving “friend.”

I join Sheena on a large, pale red-and-tan-colored boulder. She scoots over a bit to give me some space. “Hey, I see you spotted the local squirrels, Elvis. Lots of fun chasing those guys, but they’re very fast indeed. Lots of rabbits around, too, and they’re not an easy catch, either!”

“Yeah, it was fun…though I can tell I haven’t quite regained my strength yet. But, Sheena, I can promise this: if I’m allowed to stay here, I will get better! This is the best day of my life!”

§§§§§§

I can see Billy far away in his new habitat, and he seems happy and at peace. He has a very large ball to play with, climbing ropes, and plenty of things going on around him to keep him occupied. I’m sending Billy a message using my various vocal sounds to let him know that I’m okay. He’s heard my r–aow r–aow r–aow, and now he’s returning the call with lots of quick and loud grunts. His excitement is contagious and arouses the attention of the coyote pair, Jack and Jill. A coyote is similar to a dog, but they’re wild and live in small groups. In the fall and winter, they form packs for effective hunting. They’re omnivores, which means they can eat everything, both plant and animal life. Though it’s normal for coyotes to begin the loud and high-pitched yipping calls at night, Billy is sure getting a chorus going between them and the exotic birds that were rescued and now live in a large enclosure down the dirt road. It’s quite noisy!

There’s a young lion cub here named Anthony, who was confiscated, or taken away, from a lady who was trying to sell him for money. He is in very good shape right now, but has a very bad sore on his little face. It’s called “cage rub,” and it’s caused by being in a small cage for too long. A baby coyote named Riley has recently arrived at the sanctuary as well, and he was all alone. Normally, the coyote pups stay with their mom and dad for around two years then move on to find a mate of their own, but this little girl was abandoned for some reason. She was brought in by the Fish and Game wildlife agency. Anthony and the coyote are sharing an enclosure, at least for the time being, because they’re both babies, and they need a friend so they won’t be so lonely and scared. It’s quite odd to see the coyote, Riley, and the lion cub playing together in their enclosure. Hope tells me they even sleep together. She says that of all things, at feeding time, Riley sometimes takes the food right out of Anthony’s mouth! I haven’t quite figured this out yet, but maybe it doesn’t matter whether they are of the same species. I think they both just needed a friend and a warm pal to snuggle up with. Maybe it takes some of the pain out of being separated from their families.

I can already sense that this will be the last move I’ll ever make. I only wish I could share this news with others so they, too, could have some hope of a better life. I can only tell my story as I’ve lived it, and maybe with this, it can one day make a difference to all the animals that are used for entertainment purposes. As for all of the orphans here at this sanctuary, I believe I speak for them to say we are all content and happy. Most of us will never be able to be released into the wild, as for sure we would perish; we had no parents to teach us how to survive in our natural habitat. But at least we have our dignity.

Now it’s nap time for me again. I’m going to lie on my back and open my legs wide to get some sun on my belly. I really enjoy this position, and I’m getting used to the relaxed feel of our beautiful sanctuary home.