E-Mail
Print
It is now known that Dianna Hanson, a volunteer intern/keeper at Cat Haven/Project Survival, was mauled to death by a 550-pound lion, Cous Cous, because a door was accidentally left open. As a fellow volunteer at CH/PS who, as a former docent, has led something over 300 tours there, I would like to give some background. It is difficult to become a docent, even harder to become a "keeper" at Cat Haven. Also, this facility meets, and usually exceeds, all government standards.
If anything positive can come from this tragedy, perhaps it will be that many more people have become aware of this true "Jewel-of-the-Valley," will visit, will learn about conservation of land needed for wild cats (and everything else) to survive in the wild, and give financial support to CH/PS and its goals.
It is such a shame that Dianna could not live many more years to work with the wild cats she loved so much, and that Cous Cous could not live out his natural life in his huge cage at Cat Haven, living a life lions can only dream of.
Carlton Smith
Visalia
