A bouquet of flowers and a new sense of hope came through the gates of the project survival cat haven on Sunday, as they re-opened to the public for the first time since intern Dianna Hanson's death. But the unmistakable sound of heartbreak was never far away.
“Nobody has wanted to go home since this happened we have been sleeping here, it is hard," said Project Survival President Wendy Debbas.
Debbas grew to know Hanson as the girl everyone wanted to be around.
"She made friends with each of us as individuals, even old mother's like me," said Debbas.
And when Hanson was mauled to death by their male lion on Wednesday, Debbas knew a bright future had been cut short.
"I was planning to have her get a job with a friend of mine, she was going to go interview with her, because I believed she was such a great person," said Debbas.
A greatness that project survival founder Dale Anderson wanted to honor by re-opening just four days after Dianna’s death.
"It is difficult but today I want to be excited about being open again," said a tearful Anderson.
An emotional moment for all present and one it increasingly appears could have been prevented.
"It appears at this time as if it is not likely the cat was able to get a closed door open and what we are finding out so far leads us to believe the door was accidently left open," said Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.
An accident still painfully fresh but one everyone at project survival hopes some good can come of.
