Blog

Enlarge Image

There are an estimated 25-30,000 wild animals living in captivity outside of the zoo system. Many of these are blessed to be well cared for by owners who understand their needs. Too many others are in places where they cannot thrive. They end up in magic shows, shopping malls, roadside zoos, backyards, basements, garages – or worse. Here are just a few of such cases:

• Kobu the lion was dumped at a monastery in Mexico when he got too big for his owner to care for him. His new owners, at a loss for what to do with this sudden responsibility, placed him in an underground concrete cell and fed him stray dogs. View Kobu’s rescue and rehabilitation.
• Diva the serval was a pet in an NYC apartment. She had been declawed and her teeth had been filed down in an attempt to domesticate her. She soon proved to her owners that these modifications didn’t make her a housecat, and that she needed a home better suited to her wild nature.
• Sally the bobcat grew up travelling the country with her truck driver owner. When she got too big and destructive, he abandoned her at a truck stop.
• When they were just cubs, leopards Chloe and Jake lived at the now defunct (thankfully) Colton, CA Tiger Rescue, which wasn’t a rescue facility at all. Their owner had stuffed them into an air conditioning duct to hide them from authorities.
• Romeo the mountain lion lived with a chain around his neck in a Montana man’s backyard.

• Tigers Ricky & Savannah lived in a horse trailer until they were five years old. They grew up filthy, malnourished, and terrified of the outdoors.

The Wild Animal Sanctuary to the Rescue!

Enter the heroic Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS). They rescue captive wild animals from across the U.S. and beyond. (You may remember that they are the ones who helped rescue the Bolivian lions.) It’s because of TWAS that the stories above, and others like them, have entered new chapters of rescue & rehabilitation.

Sally the bobcat, pictured with TWAS founder (and her hero) Pat Craig.

More TWAS Rescues:

• www.wildanimalsanctuary.org
• www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/animals/animalrescuestories.html
• View video documenting the rescues of Icon the lion and Yogi the bear, their adjustment to TWAS, and an interview with TWAS founder Pat Craig.

Behind the Crisis

Maybe it’s not enough for us just to see wild animals on TV, or from the spectator side of their enclosure in a zoo or sanctuary. Maybe it’s the hope that such unique “pets” could become a part of our family much like a dog or cat could. Perhaps it’s greed, apathy, or just a misunderstanding of how best to help them. Whatever the reason, wrongful thinking and skewed world views have helped to usher in the Captive Wildlife Crisis.

Many of the animals who are part of the crisis were born into captivity already, so returning them to the wild may be quite unrealistic. So it’s especially important that their homes are safe and nurturing. Otherwise captive animals are at risk for injury, illness, malnutrition, or in worst case scenarios, death.

Not all cases are so bad – some wildlife owners are good-hearted, and care for their animals the best that they know how. But the fact is that in no case is the animal better off unless its caregiver has done some extensive research and long-term planning, and its home provides true refuge and respects its wild nature.

Several wild animals in captivity do live in licensed facilities or are legally privately owned. And regulations do exist for humane treatment. However, as you can tell from the cases at the start of this blog entry, these laws and regulations are often ignored.

More about the Captive Wildlife Crisis

• www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/sanctuary/captivewildlifecrisis.html
• www.rd.com/family/wild-animal-sanctuary/

Show Some Love to Captive Wild Animals

• Once you’re sure the animals’ home is a good one, support their place of refuge – it’s one of the greatest kindnesses you can give them. Here’s a comprehensive list of ways you can show your support. Even though this link will take you to TWAS’ website, you can use almost any of these ideas to support the legitimate wildlife sanctuary of your choice!
• When you visit a zoo or wildlife sanctuary, be on the lookout for animals that seem neglected or unwell or for anything that doesn’t seem right. Ask lots of questions. (A few years ago I visited a zoo where the resident lion was very skinny and very angry – he charged the enclosure that separated him from us. This is a case that definitely should have been investigated. Not all cases will necessarily be this obvious, but you’ll know if something doesn’t seem right.)
• Report any abusive or questionable captive wildlife situation: contact your state authorities, humane society, fish & wildlife conservation agency, or a trustworthy sanctuary such as TWAS. Read more about TWAS’ rescue program.
• Stop and think before you act on any desire to adopt a wild animal into your home. Ask yourself, “What is best for them?” If you’re not sure what the answer is, do some research. Include wild animal experts and veterinarians in your quest for information, and make sure you gather facts from several sources. Make sure you can plan for the long-term and provide for the animal’s entire life.

Or, consider a domesticated alternative instead – maybe something like the following:

Felis catus, plump & spoiled variety

True, these are a far meow from a lion, tiger, or other wild cat, but they offer so many ownership benefits:

• Adopting one isn’t fueling the Captive Wildlife Crisis.
• They are cheaper and easier to care for.
• No Minimal destruction of your personal property
• Their affection for you and their ability to win your heart will be no less just because they come in a smaller package.
• You are much less likely to have to go through the stress of giving up an animal when it becomes too big to care for.
• They can exhibit entertaining bursts of energy. Other times they are content just to sit in your lap. Or on your favorite sweater. Or on your head when you’re sleeping.
• Aside from the unfortunate allergy sufferer, small child pulling their tail, or territorial neighborhood cat, they pose no danger to you or anyone they come in contact with.
• There are plenty of these that need a comfortable residential home. No wild animal needs to live in someone’s house or yard. There are exceptions to this, such as caring for orphaned cubs/kittens or nursing injured cats back to health, but overall there are sanctuaries and zoos established to address this need so that you don’t have to.

When a wild animal enters into captivity, it becomes completely dependent on humans for its quality of life. The owner/steward has the power to make the animal’s life miserable or full of health, peace, and contentment. If more people could consider the well-being of captive wild animals, maybe one fine day the Captive Wildlife Crisis will be a thing of the past.

Let’s do what we can to reach this goal. For their sake.

This tiger was once a victim of the Captive Wildlife Crisis, as shown here. Now, however, he is a happy resident of The Wild Animal Sanctuary.

Photos and video courtesy of

• Reader’s Digest
• The Wild Animal Sanctuary, Keenesburg, CO