Lioness, alone in a barn for years, rescued with others from abandoned Oklahoma roadside zoo

Rescuing big cats doesn't mean an immediate happily ever after. For the big cats taken in from a drive-thru roadside zoo in Oklahoma this past Friday, they're on the way to recovery.

Eureka Springs-based Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge collaborated with Oakland Zoo and Lions Tigers & Bears, both in California, to rescue two generic tigers, a lion and tiger hybrid from a northeast Oklahoma facility that once offered cub-petting and photo opportunities.

More: Ozarks refuge helps in rescue of nearly 70 big cats from ‘Tiger King’ park in Oklahoma

The big cats are all female and, according to the news release, included:

• An older, arthritic lion that required medical attention and care, going to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

• A tiger hybrid in poor condition with a facial wound and bowed legs, going to Oakland Zoo

• Two tigers housed in separate enclosures, both energetic but lean, one going to Oakland Zoo and one going to Lions Tigers & Bears

“These big cats were living in small, filthy enclosures. Shelter was provided but was terribly weathered and rotten,” said Tanya Smith, president and founder of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, via news release. “Aside from some good Samaritans, they were left alone, fed inconsistently, and needed veterinary care. We’re so relieved to provide new homes to these animals and help them thrive.”

The abandoned facility was cited and closed by the USDA in 2008 for several safety and welfare violations, per a news release from Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.

For the past few years, "a family member" was feeding and watering the remaining animals, but the "filthy conditions" the animals were left in was "unbelievable," said Emily McCormack, animal curator with the Turpentine Creek refuge.

More: Netflix releasing another 'Tiger King' episode, but not everyone is thrilled.

"It's a very frustrating and upsetting situation to see animals like this," McCormack said, especially with the lioness. "She was in a barn and the roof had been mostly torn off by a storm and we know that she was there for seven years, alone."

The lioness may not have survived being transported to California, which is why Turpentine Creek refuge collaborated with Oakland Zoo in the rescue, McCormack added.

The news release stated the roadside zoo had ties to by Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic who was featured in the 2020 Netflix true-crime documentary series, "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness." McCormack explained that many in the cub petting business are reportedly connected in some way.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Lions Tigers & Bears and the Oakland Zoo encourage support for reputable animal sanctuaries and facilities and advocacy for the Big Cat Public Safety Act.

The loneliness in the lioness' eyes

The first thing McCormack noticed about the lioness was her eyes.

"They're very distant and lonely," McCormack said.

Lions are normally social animals and to go years without being around others can be overwhelming, McCormack said.

The unnamed lioness is now at Rescue Ridge, a private area of the Turpentine Creek refuge where she's settling in, but still scared, McCormack said.

"When she overcomes being timid, I think she's going to thrive," she said.

Cages were lining the barn the lion was housed in, but they were all empty by the time she was rescued.

"As some point, there were multiple animals there," McCormack said. "Some of them were deceased. She's definitely seen animals before, but it's been a long, long time."

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge took blood from the lioness at the Oklahoma site. They found that she was dehydrated and she had trouble extending her back end.

"We'll let her, emotionally, get adjusted, and then we'll do a full exam here in a few weeks," McCormack said about the lioness, who is estimated to be between 16 and 18 years old.

When McCormack spoke with the News-Leader over the phone Monday, she said the lioness came into the yard Sunday and looked at her.

"She saw me coming," McCormack said. "She did not get aggressive and she just kind of looked past me and slowly walked herself back into her den area. We're not going to force her to try to adjust quickly or anything like that, but I think it'll be a matter of time."

"Hopefully, sooner or later, she'll come around and be like, 'Oh my God, these people are great. They bring food and this is great,'" she added. "My hope is that she gets to live out her life very peacefully."

Tsavo, a lion in a nearby enclosure, is trying to make the lioness feel welcomed with his own caroling, McCormack said.

If you would like to donate towards the unnamed lioness' care and other animals at the wildlife refuge, visit https://www.turpentinecreek.org/.

Sara Karnes is an Outdoors Reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Follow along with her adventures on Twitter and Instagram @Sara_Karnes. Got a story to tell? Email her at skarnes@springfi.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Four big cats rescued from an abandoned Oklahoma roadside zoo