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Rambo joins Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Rescued Hyena has new home

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EUREKA SPRINGS —  Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge has a new resident — Rambo the Hyena joined the Refuge on Monday, Feb. 22. Rambo is 10 years old, and since the records don’t show his actual birthdate, his day of rescue will become his birthday. He weighs between 180-190 pounds.

Rambo had a good home in Southern Arkansas, but a tragic car accident took the life of one of his owners. The remaining spouse knew she couldn’t care for him by herself, so she asked if Turpentine Creek would give him a home. 

TCWR Promotions Coordinator, Chery King said, “We were happy to welcome him to our family.”

He was transported in a rolling cage that was secured in a trailer —  “away from prying eyes.” King said. “When we opened the door to the cage, he wasn’t sure about coming out for a couple of hours,” she said. “He came from a nice habitat and had been well cared for, but we let new residents adjust on their own schedule.”

When he felt comfortable, Rambo left the cage and explored his new home. “He seemed to fall in love with it right away,” she said. “He has some unique vocalizations —  you’ve heard the term ‘laughing hyena?’ —  I hope we can get his singing caught on camera soon.”

King said they are doing a lot of research on hyenas. “We have learned they are very smart animals and can problem solve on about the same level as a chimpanzee. So we are designing some enrichment programs to keep him mentally stimulated. Hyenas eat anything, so we have to make sure whatever we give him to play with will not hurt him. After he arrived here, a leash came through his system —  they eat anything. So right now, we are sticking with forms of food for entertainment.”

The Wildlife Refuge suffered a lot of damage during the recent ice and snow storms. “We had a lot of frozen pipes and Bam Bam the Grizzly Bear’s waterfall suffered major damage,” she said. “The tigers loved the snow and got out and played in it. But most of the others stayed inside. We’ve got some fun videos posted of the tigers playing in the snow. The African lions were not impressed.”

Buying groceries for the animals can be very expensive. King said one large cat can eat 10 pounds of meat a day. “In 2019, we fed 194,979 pounds of meat.” They currently have around 90 rescued animals they care for.

To offset the expense of rescue and care of the animals, there are several ways the public can help. An animal can be sponsored for $700-$2,500 a year, depending on the animal’s size. The sponsorship gives a person a 8x10 photo, membership and access to bring guests during that year. TCWR is a 501(c3) organization.

“We accept unlimited adoptions that start at $150 and also include a photo,” she said. “If the wallet is too tight for a sponsorship or adoption, even $5 helps us continue to rescue animals and give them a home,” she said.

King went on to say that a lot of the animals have health issues. Some were deprived of their mother’s milk and they have developed bone disease and have to be on pain medicine. Some of the servals were declawed by previous owners. “The claws grow back, but under the skin and cause pain to the animal when they walk. And walking incorrectly has caused arthritis for some, which they need treatment,” she said. “So veterinary care is a major expense, too.”

Several cabins and tree-house guest facilities have been built to bring additional revenue for the wildlife refuge and are available for the public to rent by the night. Guests love to hear the “songs” the animals sing every night. 

King is hoping many people will participate in Northwest Arkansas Gives —  a day of giving set for April 8. But of course, giving can be done at any time from the convenience of the website.

The public can follow the animals at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and watch daily video updates on Facebook. Of course, visiting in person is the best option. But with COVID restrictions and weather issues, it’s suggested to check online for the best day and time and purchase tickets in advance. Visit turpentinecreek.org for more information.  

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