Meat room

The meat room, located at the heart of the reserve, is the place from which all life on the reserve is organised. This is where the meat arrives every day and where it is prepared before being distributed to the felines. When we entered the meatroom for the first time, we quickly realised that it was at the centre of the organisation of the staff and volunteers. The day's programme for volunteers and members of the reserve almost always begins with work in the meatroom. Here are the different stages of preparation in the meatroom :

• Receiving meat

Surrounding farms supply meat to CE. The cuts delivered range from simple chickens to whole pieces of zebra or ostrich. When meat deliveries are received, the cuts, depending on their size and how long they will take before being prepared, can be placed in empty meatroom tubs or in a cold room if they are not going to be distributed immediately.

• Preparing the meat

The pieces of meat are then cut up and prepared. The chickens are emptied of their organs, before being plucked. Some animals arrive whole, such as zebras, goats, ostriches, etc. They are roughly cut up before eventually being cut into smaller pieces.

 The size of the pieces of meat is adapted to each animal on a case-by-case basis: lions generally have large pieces of meat, while small felines have much smaller pieces. As a general rule, the pieces that are distributed require a little chewing work for the felines, as they would have to do in their natural environment. Some older felines or those with digestive problems are given ground-up pieces.

• Heating meat

Once the meat has been cut up, the portions are placed under heat lamps to give them a temperature similar to that which prey that has died naturally after being hunted would have.

• Individual portions for each animal

The portions of meat prepared and distributed for each animal are monitored on a daily and weekly basis. Data on the quantity distributed and the quantity actually eaten by each feline is recorded, enabling the animals' diets to be adjusted precisely over time.

• Possible addition of medicines/supplements

Once the meat portions have been prepared individually for each animal, medicines or food supplements can be added to the preparations. In the event of temporary illness, animals can be given medication to help them heal (digestive problems, hair loss, ....). Supplements can also include collagen for feline tendons and joints, or vitamins for long-term health and fitness.

• Placing meat portions in a trolley

The different cuts of meat from the animals are then placed in order of distribution on a trolley. Volunteers and staff then distribute the food to the animals.

Discovering the meatroom made us realise that meticulous organisation was necessary for the reserve to run smoothly. We were also able to forge links with the members of the EC by working towards a common goal: the well-being of all the animals. Finally, it allowed us to learn more about the physiology of felines, to understand their needs in terms of food and to raise our awareness through the point of view of their diet. All animals have a very specific diet to follow and that's why the meatroom is a key place to meet their needs.