Nothing about the day boded well. Days of intense rainfall left the coast soaked in dense fog with the threat of more rain trickling down from the dark clouds above. This sunless start did not delay the volunteers as they gathered at the gates of the Central Florida Animal Reserve (CFAR) compound. Armed with shovels, picks, and wheelbarrows, they set forth to complete a daunting task. Two enclosures will get the refocusing touch today with an effort to improve the drainage around and in their cage. In order to do so, the entire floor will need to be redone.

"This property has a bit of a drainage issue," said Bill Crawford, a volunteer of six years. Today, he's operating the heavy equipment to aid the re-flooring process. "So what we're going to do is dig out all the muck and replace it with rock to keep them out of the mud."

Tigers are natural swimmers and have a famous affinity for water; but, after three straight days of rain their humans aren't happy with how things look. The ground is impregnated with water, and the playful antics of the cats have splashed it all along their den. When they sharpen their claws on the edge of the den, wet wood splinters off in long strands. Something must be done.

"Sure, they love the water, but its important they are able to stay out of it when they want to," said Dr. Tom Blue. In addition to being the President of CFAR, he is also a practicing community dentist. Today, he's donned his work clothes and is ready to get dirty. "The first thing we need to do is clear all this stuff out."

The ground needs to be down to dry dirt before the rock can be placed in to allow for adequate filtration. To do this, volunteers have to remove the heavy wet muck the old fashioned way—one shovel full at a time. It is heavy labor and quite messy. This muck, impregnated with layers of old mulch and compacted by the cat's weight, stains skin just as easily as it stains clothing. But there are no dark spirits amongst the crew, as laughter comes just as easily as sweat.

"My first thought when looking at the project was what an improvement it would be when we're done," Terri Williams said. She has already logged a year of volunteer work with CFAR, and is no stranger to the challenges of big cat infrastructure. "It actually turned out to be easier than I thought."

With the muck out of the enclosure, it was time to start getting the rock into the cage. This too had to be accomplished one wheelbarrow full at a time. While making sure that it was sufficiently thick on the floor, the second part of the project started. The den top needed re-decking and a more permanent solution for the clawing cats. Composite boards of wood and plastic is a novel solution to this problem.

"This decking should be more resilient," Tom said, working with Tony, another dedicated volunteer, in attaching the boards. "They will still claw the boards, but it shouldn't splinter the same way wood does and will last longer."

Piece by piece, the decking is cut to specification and attached with sturdy screws. End-caps give it a nice finished look as well as compliment the refurbished front of the cage. In the meantime, their real water-feature gained some much-needed attention. It took some real elbow grease and focused effort to get the hardened muck from the sides and insides of their tub.

"Someone could build a house with this stuff!" A voice exclaims over the work to much laughter. When it's finished, the tub is filled with clean water and gleams like new. After a few finishing touches, the cage looks a world different than it started. Caked walls reveal their original coat of paint. The new decking is a clean start and a stylish addition. Smooth, clean rock flows along the floor, tucked around a shining tub full of clean water. The effect is no less than astounding.

"This is just fantastic," exclaims Sharon Farrar, primary license holder and Facility Director. "The kids will be thrilled."

Misunkala and Charger entered their refurbished home with little hesitation. Exploration was the first priority as they sniffed, pawed, and scraped the new flooring. Once they assured themselves that it passed muster, the pair engaged in some lighthearted play in celebration of their upgrades.

Even as the team glowed from their initial success, they weren't done yet. There was another cat on the list for new flooring. With high spirits, they turned their attention to Inila's enclosure.

The volunteers worked as a well oiled machine and quickly brought Inila's enclosure down to the requisite level. The process repeated itself in what seemed like half the time. When the effort was done, Inila came out to enjoy the fresh look of his home. Their work completed, the volunteers reveled in how much was accomplished.

Terri summed it up best. "The most important aspect is helping the cats have a quality of life and all the wonderful people you get to work with. There are no hidden agendas, everyone is here for the cats."

The day ends with the sun beginning to peek through the clouds.  Its warmth pervades the compound, cutting the overcast day with slivers of light.  This is just one of the many ongoing projects at CFAR and one more step on the road to a brighter future for all its residents.

Copyright © 2008, Central Florida Animal Reserve, Inc.  All rights reserved.