Newsletters

A TRIBUTE TO BRIAN

On December 22, 2001, Brian M. Rhyne died in the arms of Park Director, Joe Schreibvogel, in the parking lot of Norman Regional Hospital. Brian had been battling a devastating lung infection for years. He was 32 years old.

Services for him were held at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park the following Friday, surrounded by the animals he loved, his family and friends. He was laid to rest in southern Oklahoma. 

"Brian was the most unselfish person I have ever met," said Joe Schreibvogel. "He was so giving, and he never expected anything in return. It is always difficult to lose one of our animals, but when we lose one of our own, that hits especially hard. He touched our lives in so many ways. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to know him. I held him as he took his last breath and was able to say goodbye. I told him to go be with his parents and with God as I closed his eyes. I have never cried so hard in my life," added Schreibvogel.

Brian volunteered at the GW Exotic Animal Park since we opened in October of 1999, and he was one of the original Board members. He was responsible for initiating many of the animal rescues we have undertaken over the years. Brian is truly a hero in our eyes, and we are all devastated by his passing. He sold his life insurance policy to build the park's nursery, a living memorial for his parents.

Brian always wanted to build a compound for the exotic birds at the park. He adored our feathered friends, and we would like to build a bird sanctuary for his memorial. He asked that folks make donations to his memorial fund in lieu of flowers. Many thanks to those who have already sent donations, including Brian's 14 year old nephew, Josh Schaffer, who sent a contribution to be used in his uncle's memory.

We miss you dearly, Brian. Rest in peace.   - Staff, family and friends at the  G.W. Exotic Animal Park

SCHOOL TOURS LINING UP FOR SPRING

With snow and ice still on the ground, we are busy booking school tours for the Spring season here at the park. Last year we hosted school groups from as far away as southern Kansas and Texas for educational tours. A day at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park is a golden opportunity for your class to learn about our wonderful creatures and their environment. For dates, prices and booking information, call us at (405) 665-5197. Slots are filling up fast so call us soon.

PRIMATE HOUSE

We have moved the monkeys into their new home, even though it is not quite complete. We cannot open the compound for visitors yet as we are about $1,200.00 short on expenses to complete construction. When it is finished it will be unlike any primate house on earth!

MULVANE, KANSAS RESCUE A SUCCESS

On December 8th, volunteers from the G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park headed north to Mulvane Kansas, to rescue animals from a private sanctuary there. Bryan Colbert from Amarillo, Texas again offered his assistance, donating his 18-wheeler cattle semi, fuel and his time. They departed at 3 am.

After paying for a permit for farm tags when they crossed the state line into Kansas, getting onto the property with the semi was the next hurdle. "We got stuck in the sand at the end of the driveway," said Schreibvogel. After spending hours digging and pulling, they finally resorted to calling a wrecker, adding another $125 and several hours to the cost of the rescue.

The couple in Kansas that contacted the park and requested the rescue had tried to care for the animals in their makeshift sanctuary, but it became too large a job for them to handle. "These creatures required a lot of special care, and their diet and living conditions are vital to their health," explained Schreibvogel. "When we arrived, I was appalled by the conditions of their cages. They had no catch pens attached to their cages, so cleaning up after the animals was near impossible without threat to life and limb, so they were living in and around filth," he explained.

It seemed that the animals in Kansas were waiting for our arrival. "We built a ramp to load the animals and they just marched right onto the truck. It was an amazing thing to see. We picked up three tigers, one with a severely deformed leg and tail. We also took two lions, one male and one female, three mountain lions, a skunk and two foxes," explained Schreibvogel. Two bears came along as well, one missing a limb. 

The bears, Angel and Salina, had no shelter to speak of. All of the animals were thin, malnourished, and obviously hungry, but in better shape than the park has seen on other rescues. "These folks did the right thing when they called us. God bless them," said Schreibvogel. "We said our good-byes and headed south at 4 pm."

Just north of Oklahoma City the truck began to shake violently. "We neglected to bolt up a few things on the truck before we left Kansas," explained Schreibvogel. After a quick fix with some bailing wire, they arrived back in Wynnewood at about 8 pm. Dr. Green arrived to dart and unload two tigers in the bone-chilling cold, and they decided to call it a night. No one had slept in two days, so they postponed unloading the rest of the animals until Sunday morning. 

Bright and early the next morning, darting and unloading resumed. Upon closer inspection, the condition of the animals became clear. Several had sores on their feet, and Angel's teeth were in a horrible state. "She has exposed nerves in all four canines. She must be in terrible pain," explained Dr. Green. Angel, a black bear, is also an amputee. She lost a limb when her father mauled her when she was a tiny cub. 

The male tigers and mountain lions were neutered when they were unloaded from the truck. All received antibiotics and vitamin injections, and all will be wormed. The animals are now snug in their temporary homes. "We did a major animal shuffle to house these new arrivals. Everyone has a shelter for the moment, albeit temporary. We will need to construct some new compounds for permanent housing," said Schreibvogel. "The situation is not ideal, but it will have to do for now," he added. Compounds to permanently house these new arrivals and comply with USDA regulations will cost about $35,000.00.

After everyone was unloaded, examined and placed in their new home, it was time to get our most generous trucker back on the road. "He had already spent more time with us than he should have, and we were anxious to get him back on the road so he could go to work," said Schreibvogel. Pulling the 56-foot semi into the park's back forty was the easy part… backing it out was another matter. "We ended up cutting a 20 foot section out of the fence so he could back out," said Schreibvogel. " Well, no one guaranteed that this job would be easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!"

Angel needs some extensive dental work, as all four of her canines are in very bad shape. If you are a dentist and would like to help, or if you know of a dentist who could assist us, please call the park at (405) 665-5197. Angel is an amputee.  She lost her leg to an adult male bear who mauled her when she was a baby.

TIGERS FOR TOTS

Our Annual Tigers for Tots dinner, December 16th, was a soggy success this year. Due to the horrendous weather, we had to move the festivities inside to the Café, and it was rather cramped, but the food was wonderful and Santa arrived on schedule to pass out gifts to one and all. We had a record five inches of rain fall in Wynnewood that day, and scrambling to make sure all of the animals were safe took most of the afternoon. Even when it stopped raining, the ground was saturated, and Santa would have sunken outdoors. About 60 people arrived at 6pm to share turkey, dressing and all the trimmings. Thanks to all who attended! Our next Tigers for Tots will be moving to July! In an effort to avoid the nasty weather, we will be celebrating a Hawaiian Christmas during our annual Luau at the Park. It will be unlike any Christmas party you have seen! Santa will be there, dressed in a festive hula skirt and lei. Dinner will be at 6 pm, and we will have live music and beverages for the duration of the evening. Look for more information in upcoming issues of our newsletter!

ANIMAL UPDATES

Baby Tigers - Our current brood of tiger cubs is doing very well. They are snug and warm in the Café where they will spend the winter. Tiffany, our nanny, is up at all hours bottle feeding and caring for the little ones. Both litters, one born October 27th and the other set born November 17th, are happy, healthy and very loud when they are hungry!

The cubs will be bottled-fed until they are 8 months old. When weaned, they will need permanent housing. If you would like to help sponsor a compound for the babies, please contact us at (405) 665-5197. 

Dylan and Madison - These are baby African lions that were rescued from Sapulpa in October. Both are suffering from severe vitamin deficiencies, but they are improving. "The effects of poor diet and nutrition can be devastating for these creatures," explained Schreibvogel. "I see this so often when we bring in rescued animals. Not only is their development stunted, but their immune system is compromised, and they are subject to all kinds of infection." Dylan still shows the effects of a thiamine deficiency as he stumbles when he tries to walk. Hopefully, with constant care and attention, they will both improve. 

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