Something about the stillness didn’t feel like rest. It felt like something else entirely. By midafternoon, the decision was made, they had to try feeding Shira directly. Ethan gathered the team near the service gate, his voice low but firm. “We’ll separate the others first,” he said. “Less chance of her feeling cornered. She’s been tense for two days now.”
Lily and Caleb stood a few feet back as the keepers worked. The younger tigers were lured into adjacent holding pens with raw meat and soft whistles. The moment the gate clanged shut, the enclosure fell eerily quiet. Only the rustle of leaves and the faint hum of insects filled the air.