Day 13: Friday May 15 (My sister Annette's Birthday) Wild Animal Sanctuary

Wild Animal Sanctuary, Outside Denver

(Happy Birthday to my Zaestra Annette!)

Pouring rain on and off today, but today is the day I am going to the Wild Animal Sanctuary. I'm always excited but hesitant to see a sanctuary. Is it going to be a real sanctuary for the animals, or is it a tourist trap? Lots of places say they are in it for the animals, and even giving them the benefit of the doubt that their hearts are in the right place, most are not done with the animals best interest at heart. They don't always have as much space as they truly need, only what is available.

This Wild Animal Sanctuary I am glad to report does have the best interest of the animals as their primary focus. This is a 720 acre Sanctuary for Predator type wild animals that have been rescued from various circumstances, such as circuses or side shows. Some are from when people think, “oh how cute, I would like to have a cute cuddly tiger cub for a pet”, and then the tiger grows up! The rescues would also come from those people that are selling the tiger cubs, as they most likely had a backyard breeding set up, and they are horrendous conditions the animals live in. Barely enough room to move, they have never known grass and they just keep cranking out cubs. At least these are the lucky ones that were rescued and they come here to paradise!!

By the time I arrived the rain had stopped. I was dressed for it though, red and Black lady bug boots, blue rain pants and my multi colored polka dot rain jacket. Yeah, not going to loose me in there. Heh.

One of the brilliant additions to this sanctuary is the “Mile in the Wild” walkway Over the enclosures. You walk out over the enclosures which house Lions and Tigers and Bears, as well as Wolves, Lynx, and some porcupines. These predator animals do not have natural “air” enemies so are not threatened or anxious about anything above them. As I walked across the enclosures, the only interest the animals paid to me was an occasional glance or an ear twitching around in my direction.

 These lions are in the heated indoor portion of their enclosures which have an always open access door to the outside large acreage  portion of their forever home. 

The sanctuary has been in operation for 30 years, family owned and is a tax deductible non profit whose mission is primarily to get as many of these majestic wild animals out of their unnatural, most times in-humane conditions and back out into a situation that is more natural where they can roam freely. That and educate the public to decrease both circuses and people trying to raise wild animals in their home.

The Sanctuary operates on a rotational basis of rescuing an animal, putting it in a small, but roomy outdoor/indoor enclosure where it can get used to the sights and sounds of the sanctuary. Then the animal is moved to an enclosure that has neighbors of the same species so that it can start to make friends. They call this the Tiger House right now. Although it would be whatever species currently in need. The bear house, the lion house, etc. 

Each animal is supervised for its particular style of living; Loner, pack, families, etc. and when they have bonded into their appropriate groupings, they are moved to their forever home, usually of 20 acres farther back and out on the property. Sometimes the animals arrive already in packs or groups so they can go almost immediately out into their homes. Once they move onto their forever homes, that frees up the circular house for the next group of animals in need.

These animals are so well fed and cared for. You only need to look at them to see how relaxed, fat and healthy they are. 

Relaxed Tiger

Bear nap

 But you could also watch all the rabbits running around in their enclosures to know they aren't starving because the rabbits seem absolutely unconcerned that they are living in with carnivores.

I loved seeing the care free running and playing of the wolves, the bears waddling around, scratching their backs, or coming in and out of their dens. Note the horses in the background are also unconcerned with the bears.

Wolf Play

Lions laying around in the grass

and the Tigers playing in their swimming pool.

At the end I went into one of the visitor centers which has 6-7 screens set up with ever rolling movies of stuff going on at the Sanctuary, various rescues of animals currently at the sanctuary, how the Mile in the Wild walkway was undertaken, and so much more. I stayed at the sanctuary for 4 hours, but I'm a die hard for this kind of thing. You could walk one end to the other and back (two miles total) in about an hour with stops to read the informational boards or listen to the audio information by calling (phone) and dialing the particular stop numbers. 

I was the last person to leave the Sanctuary. They close at 8 pm. Yeah, I would go back again. 

Then I picked up Daryl  at the airport. Yay, Daryl is back on the road trip again. Tomorrow we are leaving Pikes peak area, but we are going to see Garden of the Gods first.