ADI Rescue Diary

ADI Rescue Diary - 2010-05-28

Jorja Fox: Oh my gosh! Look! Look! We’ve heard from Jan and, I guess, close to landing the cats woke up. They started to brush themselves off, and they already checked them when they arrived at the gate. They’re doing great, so we may get a look at them tonight.

[…]

Jorja: Hi, Jan. So how many hours have you been awake?

Jan Creamer: I think about 20 hours. Something like that. It’s been a long journey.

Jorja: How are you feeling?

Jan: Everyone’s doing really well, really very well. We were feeling really, really tired on the plane. Once we started getting near, the adrenaline took over. We got excited. And this one [lion] got really excited. He started moving around, and growling and roaring.

Jorja: No.

Jan: Yeah. It was kind of like they knew something was about to happen.

Jorja: I am completely exhilarated. I cannot believe this. And they’re here, it happened, and they’re doing very well. This [lion] is Bombet. It’s a miracle.

[…]

Jorja: Now the lions have a chance to have some water. They’re talking to each other. They all know that they’re here, safely on the ground. We’re going to start boarding them up, getting them ready for the drive to PAWS Ark 2000, call Pat. She’s going to go back to bed for a little while, and when we get closer, we’re going to call her. And the lions will be delivered tonight.

[…]

Jorja: May 28th, 2010, it’s four o’Clock in the morning on this beautiful, beautiful Friday. The lions and most of the ADI team have just arrived here at Ark 2000 at PAWS. We’re making arrangements now to get them into pens overnight. In the morning, they’re going to meet some grass. It’s amazing.

[…]

Jorja: Well. All the lions have leaves in their fur, in their hair and their manes. You can see behind us all four are finally out. Camba [the lioness] decided to go first. We waited for a while for the boys, and she’s out, she led them out. Everyone’s pretty much over the moon as they explore this territory. Of course, we understand they’re exhausted, because they played ferociously for hours after they got out of their pens in the morning. And they managed to save up a little more energy to walk around right behind us.

[…]

Jorja: I’m completely ecstatic. Utterly delirious. I have joined the rest of the- The rest of the ADI team in lack of sleep. I think I’m running on two hours at this point. I definitely got more sleep than anyone else here. Pat might have to drag me off the property when it’s time to go. I might just stay here forever.

Transcription by Mika A. Epstein