Foxes explore their enclosures May 9 at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana.
(Alaina Davis)
The Exotic Feline Rescue Center is adapting to a bigger workload after recently rescuing over 50 new animals from a farm in Ohio.
Nearly 400 animals, including foxes, skunks and raccoons, were found at a farm in Ashtabula County, Ohio, earlier this year. They were kept in small, wire cages in the extreme cold. An investigation found the animals were killed for their fur, sold as exotic pets and used for urine farming.
“I've been doing this for 21 years now, and going to Ohio was by far the worst rescue I've ever been on,” said Rebecca Stevenson, head keeper at the center. “Just the conditions there, there were dead animals everywhere, frozen to death. Some had eaten other ones. I mean, it was disgusting.”
Hundreds of animals were kept in very poor conditions in a fur farm in Ohio. (Humane World for Animals)
The Humane World for Animals first contacted Stevenson in February asking if she could take in three foxes and two coyotes. Soon after, she also took in a few wolf hybrids. And just a few weeks ago, another 56 animals came to the center after their temporary housing fell through. Many of the animals were malnourished and had mange, a skin condition causing itching and hair loss.
“We've also had to do a lot of dental work on these animals, more than likely, from being at the fur farm, they were chewing on the bars, the little, tiny enclosures they lived in,” she said. “They're not in the best of shape, but they're getting there.”
The center, located in Center Point, already houses 150 animals, Stevenson said, including tigers, bobcats, cougars and a lion. Getting another 56 animals in the span of a couple of days was overwhelming, especially with only 20 staff members.
The Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point takes care of multiple tigers that come from all over Indiana. (Alaina Davis)
“It's already a chore,” she said. “But we have a rhythm. We have a way of doing everything. And so, it's just getting into a new rhythm with these guys.”
Stevenson said with 300 acres of space, she has been able to repurpose old tiger enclosures to house the foxes. This helped cut costs. The staff also turned the vet clinic into a makeshift shelter for the animals until enclosures are ready outside. After living in unnatural conditions, the goal is to give the animals the ability to behave naturally again.
“They are just so overstimulated. They don't know what to do,” she said. “This is just sensory overload for them. They've never had this kind of space before.”
The foxes are being kept inside the vet clinic until the enclosures outside are ready. (Alaina Davis)
Stevenson introduces four foxes at one time to each other in an enclosure. She said foxes can be very social if introduced appropriately. One group of four is called “The Butterflies,” named after butterflies in different languages: Mariposa, Schmetterling and Vlinder. They named the fourth one Steve after a friend.
Another group of four live in the enclosure right next to “The Butterflies”: Ash, Ember, Scarlett and Red.
“Ember here, she rules this enclosure,” Stevenson said. “She's a tiny little thing, but she rules the enclosure. Ash is trying to rule the enclosure. But like, if you look up at Ash, who's now just staring up there, like he's going to go bother somebody, and they're just minding their own business.”
Head Keeper Rebecca Stevenson explains how she introduced Ash and Ember to each other. (Alaina Davis)
The plan was not to keep the animals permanently. But Stevenson said she would’ve felt guilty if they hadn’t kept them.
“After seeing the state that they came in and seeing them already turn around, we'd like to really see these guys through to the end of their life, you know, just make it the best life they can possibly have,” she said. “We don't really have the heart to temporarily house animals here. We fall in love pretty quickly.”
The center has raised over $15,000 on social media to fund new enclosures and medical treatment. They expect to take in more animals in the coming months.
