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>> HI, EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."
I'M DEBORAH HOLT NOEL.
LIONS, TIGERS, AND LEMURS.
OH, MY!
THE CONSERVATORS' CENTER JUST OUTSIDE OF MEBANE IN CASWELL
COUNTY RESCUES ANIMALS IN NEED AND PRESERVES THREATENED
SPECIES.
VISITORS CAN NOW GET AN UPFRONT AND CLOSE LOOK AT THESE AMAZING
CREATURES, BUT STEPHANIE BOURLAND TAKES US BEHIND THE
SCENES TO SEE HOW THEY'RE CARED FOR.
>> THEIR STRIKING BEAUTY, BOUNDLESS.
THEIR STATELY MANNER, MESMERIZING.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THESE EXOTIC BIG CATS UP CLOSE AND SO
PERSONAL IS RARE.
LIONS, TIGERS, AND OTHER EXTRAORDINARY CREATURES ARE
REHABILITATED AND CARED FOR AT THE CONSERVATORS' CENTER.
FOR MOST, IT'S A SANCTUARY FROM SAGAS OF ABUSE ALLEGED NEGLECT.
LOOKING AT ARTHUR NOW, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE HE WAS EVER
MALNOURISHED.
AT 3 MONTHS OLD, THE WHITE TIGER WEIGHED JUST 19 POUNDS, HALF OF
WHAT HE SHOULD.
THAT'S WHEN A GOVERNMENT AGENCY SEIZED HIM.
>> THE PEOPLE WHO OWNED HIM WERE VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING MONEY
OFF OF ARTHUR FOR AS LONG AS THEY COULD, SO THEY WERE MAKING
MONEY BY CHARGING PEOPLE TO TAKE PHOTOS WITH ARTHUR AS A CUB.
>> ARTHUR WAS BEING STARVED TO STAY SMALL.
BUT HE WAS SAVED.
HIS STORY AND THOSE OF HIS FURRY FRIENDS IS SHARED WITH VISITORS.
MORE THAN JUST A REFUGE, CO-FOUNDERS OF THE CONSERVATORS'
CENTER, MINDY STINNER AND DOUGLAS EVANS WANTED TO PRODUCE
A PLACE THAT OFFERED A DISTINCTIVE ENCOUNTER.
>> WHAT DOUGLAS AND I CREATED IS A FACILITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN HAVE
A REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
WE WANTED THEM TO GET ALL THE EXCITEMENT OF SEEING THE BIG
ANIMALS OF THE ZOO AND ALL OF THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF
GOING TO A MUSEUM.
>> A TOUR HERE IS UNLIKE ANY YOU'LL EXPERIENCE AT A MUSEUM OR
ZOO.
[OOFING] THAT'S CALLED OOFING.
IT'S HOW LIONS COMMUNICATE.
>> IT'S A GREETING.
THEY'RE CALLING TO CHECK IN ON OTHER LIONS.
THEY'LL DO IT IN THE WILD TO THEIR OWN PRIDE, BUT ALSO TO
WARN OTHER PRIDES WHEN THEY'RE GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THEIR
TERRITORY.
>> IT'S AN UNFORGETTABLE SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD UP TO 5 MILES
AWAY IN THE WILD.
>> EVERYBODY'S USUALLY A LITTLE BIT SPEECHLESS AFTER THAT.
IT NEVER GETS OLD, BY THE WAY, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU
HEAR IT.
IT'S ALWAYS AMAZING.
ALL RIGHT.
>> ANOTHER ASTONISHING ASPECT OF THE TOUR IS A TRAINING TECHNIQUE
THEY USE TO HELP CARE FOR THE ANIMALS.
BUT IT CAN TAKE A LITTLE COAXING.
>> HOPEFULLY, THOMAS WILL BE MORE WILLING TO STAND UP FOR
YOU.
THOMAS, UP.
>> A LITTLE MEAT TREAT DID THE TRICK.
>> WE CAN NOW EXAMINE THOMAS' BELLY.
WE CAN LOOK AT HIS PAWS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE CAN GET A VERY GOOD VIEW AT A PART OF A LION YOU DON'T
NORMALLY GET TO SEE.
>> AFTER THE TOUR, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SPENDING SOME QUIET
TIME WITH THOMAS AND HIS BROTHER, RA.
SITTING JUST A FEW FEET AWAY FROM THESE NOBLE ANIMALS,
STARING INTO THEIR EYES, WAS A SURREAL MOMENT THAT IS FOREVER
FROZEN IN MY MIND.
>> ALL RIGHT, MISS BELLE.
>> AND WHILE THESE ANIMALS HAVE NEVER LIVED IN THE WILD --
>> BELLA'S COMING INTO HER PRIME.
>> -- THEY ARE STILL WILD ANIMALS.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> ANIMAL KEEPER SHANNON FLETCHER NEVER FORGETS THAT.
>> AS MUCH AS I AM REALLY DEDICATED AND BONDED TO THESE
CATS AND I THINK I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, THEY'RE STILL
EXOTIC, WILD CATS.
AND SO I'M ALWAYS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THAT.
>> IN ADDITION TO THE INHERENT DANGERS, REHABILITATING AND
CARING FOR THESE AGING CREATURES IS DEFINITELY A LABOR OF LOVE.
THE DUTIES INCLUDE CLEANING AND FEEDING.
>> ALONG WITH ALL THE MEDICATIONS.
A LOT OF THESE GUYS ARE GERIATRIC OR THEY CAME FROM
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WEREN'T THAT GREAT, AND SO THEY DO REQUIRE A
LOT OF SPECIAL ATTENTION.
IT'S HARD.
IT'S NOT GIRLIE WORK.
>> BUT THE FOLKS HERE ARE USED TO HARD WORK.
AFTER OFFERING TO RESCUE FOUR BIG CATS FROM A FACILITY WITH
MORE THAN 800 VIOLATIONS, THEY WERE SUDDENLY FLOODED WITH MORE
THAN THEY COULD IMAGINE.
>> THERE WERE 14 BIG CATS THAT CAME TO US WHEN WE HAD PLANNED
TO TAKE FOUR.
AND OF THE 14 THAT CAME TO US, FOUR WERE PREGNANT AND GAVE
BIRTH SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVAL TO AN ADDITIONAL 15 CUBS.
SO WE WENT FROM HAVING ABOUT THREE BIG CATS TO HAVING MORE
THAN 30 BIG CATS IN ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.
>> BECAUSE THEY WERE SHORT ON SPACE AT THE TIME, THEY PUT THE
AFRICAN LIONS AND ASIAN TIGER PUPS TOGETHER TEMPORARILY.
>> WE FIGURED WE'D MONITOR THEIR BEHAVIOR, WE'D WATCH THEM, SEE
IF THEY EVER REALLY WANTED TO MOVE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.
BUT THE LIONS AND TIGERS HAVE REALLY ENJOYED LIVING TOGETHER
EVER SINCE THEN.
>> THAT'S NOT THE ONLY UNUSUAL RELATIONSHIP HERE.
THIS IS OLIVER, A BINTURONG.
AND THESE ARE HIS BABIES.
THEY'RE NOT BINTURONGS.
THEY'RE KITTENS.
HE ADOPTED THEM AFTER THEIR MOTHER LEFT THEM NEAR HIS
ENCLOSURE.
LEOPARDS, LEMURS, CARACALS, OCELOTS, KINKAJOUS, AND WOLVES
ARE JUST SOME OF THE OTHER EXOTIC ANIMALS THAT CALL THE
CONSERVATORS' CENTER HOME.
>> I WOULD GIVE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO
REINTRODUCE THESE ANIMALS TO THE WILD.
TO ME, THAT'S WHERE THEY BELONG.
IT'S WHERE THEY'RE FROM.
BUT THESE GUYS WERE BORN IN CAPTIVITY.
THEY'VE NEVER KNOWN THE WILD.
THEY'RE NOT PREPARED FOR THE WILD.
AND TO RELEASE THEM WOULD BE A CRUELTY.
SO, INSTEAD, WE KEEP THEM ALIVE FOREVER HERE IN THE BEST
CIRCUMSTANCES WE CAN.
>> IN MEBANE, FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND," I'M STEPHANIE
BOURLAND.
>> THE CONSERVATORS' CENTER IS AT THE INTERSECTION OF HUFFINES
ROAD AND EAST HUGHES ROAD IN CASWELL COUNTY ABOUT 20 MILES
NORTH OF MEBANE.
VISITORS ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DETAILED DIRECTIONS TO THE
FACILITY, YOU CAN CALL 336-421-0883 OR GO ONLINE TO
conservatorscenter.org.