A Trip to the E.F.R.C

    By:  Isabel Branam                                                                                                                                                                                                               4/10/2024

Imagine this: Walking through a trail in nature and seeing an exotic cat everywhere you go. You hear about their interesting and amazing stories of their life before they got rescued. That is exactly what Mrs. Ayer’s 6th period ELA class got to experience. A beautiful amazing adventure.When Mrs. Ayer was teaching her students about different kinds of wildlife and she stumbled upon a perfect learning chance for her students. She was teaching them about wildlife around the US and she thought this would be a great experience for them. The Exotic Feline Rescue Center also known as the E.F.R.C is a place where they take in exotic cats and give them a home forever. In fact their motto is The Exotic Feline Rescue Center, Giving Big Cats a Home for Life. They have all kinds of animals with amazing backstories and you can learn all about them.

One of the coolest animals there is Zeus meaning “sky father” or “to shine”. He is a lion and the only one at the rescue center. Zeus was one of the many animals owned by an animal trainer in the Miami County Circus in Peru, IN. Due to his retirement he took all of his animals and put them in only 1 barn. The animals in the barn consisted of lions, tigers, horses, and an elephant. All in one barn! Due to their lack of exercise and sitting in urine and feces for 9 whole years Zeus had to relearn how to use his muscles again but now Zeus loves to run! He has come a far way since his days in the barn. Another cat who has come a long way is Charlie Brown. (Yes, like the cartoon character) Charlie is a white tiger often confused with being albino although he isn’t. If he were albino you would see no stripes at all and he would have red eyes. If you look you can see his stripes and his eyes are a sort of blue.  Charlie used to be a part of a magic show in Branson, Missouri. Due to their lack of efficiency when cleaning his cage instead of taking him out and doing a proper clean they would pour a tub of bleach on the ground with Charlie sitting in it. Due to sitting in it for so long he got nerve issues in his feet. Although coming a long way from them you can still see him favor a foot when he walks but that doesn’t stop him. He also has a home half on the trail and half off if he wants to be away from people.

Charlie Brown, their white tiger

Zeus, the only lion at the rescue 

Alex, their bobcat

The next animal is a fishing cat, one of the tiniest cats on display through-out the tour.  Their names are Kayo and Kalini. Kayo and Kalini being sisters were rescued in the fall of 2020. Kayo and Kalini have been the first fishing cats the EFRC has had the pleasure of taking care of. The last animal for the feature is Alex the bobcat. Alex was a bobcat privately owned that traveled across the US with his owners. When he became too much for them they gave him up to the EFRC. Since his owners declawed him before giving him to the rescue center they were  unable to put him in the wild due to lack of self-defense. Though he still acts like the tough guy with his roommate Rocky he may open up to show you his soft side.

The exotic feline rescue center has events there all the time! You are even able to attend for the full solar eclipse happening on April 8th, 2024 of Monday, when we get school off! It’s called the Roaring Solarbration of 2024. Check out their website Here to learn all about this place. And new events that come up all the time! Learn all about the founder Joe Taft and his experiences on The Herald Times 

In conclusion the EFRC is a really great place for exotic cats and they will give them a home forever. Find them in Center Point, IN and have the experience of a lifetime.