If you were to take one of our private tours down to Rescue Ridge today, you might notice a lion with an impressive dark mane. This eighteen-year-old male, Chief, was part of the Indiana 8 Rescue of 2020.
Of the eight big cats we rescued from Indiana, Chief was in the worst condition. He hadn’t eaten or drank water for days before his rescue, and was dehydrated, malnourished, and infested with worms. We were able to give him fluids through the fence, which provided enough energy for him to walk into the transport cage. After his arrival, we dewormed him and gave him the proper food and water that he became a healthy lion.
Originally, we wanted to reintroduce him to his former habitat-mate, Mauri the lioness. However, Chief is ten years older than Mauri, who is a lot more playful. We ended up [keeping them separate / re-separating them] and rotated their access to their habitat, which was at the beginning of the tour road.
Chief loves laying out in the grass. In fact, he was known for being what we call a “habitat hog,” and overstaying his welcome in the habitat. He ended up being moved to his own habitat down at Rescue Ridge, where he can lay in the grass to his heart’s content.
In summer of 2023, Chief developed a condition known as Addison’s disease. His adrenal glands no longer produced cortisol, which is important for regulating stress, or aldosterone, which regulates levels of sodium and potassium. This causes severe dehydration, and will be fatal if left untreated. Everyone became very worried. Fortunately, between hydration and daily medications, he has recovered from dehydration, and the medications keep his hormone levels at a stable point.
Chief has beaten the odds and survived not once, but twice since his rescue. He loves lounging in the grass, scratching, and caroling with the other lions at Rescue Ridge, including Mauri. So next time you take a specialty tour, say hello!
Sources
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15095-addisons-disease