Help 750+ Rescued Lions, Tigers, Bears & Horses

2023 has so far been a historic year for Animal Rescue at The Wild Animal Sanctuary. We completed the largest rescue operation in our 40+ years. Over 700 animals were flown from a zoo in Puerto Rico to sanctuaries across the country, with 7 lions and 2 bears coming to the Sanctuary, along with a gerbil and goldfish. Over 4 months our team rotated shifts for 12+ hours, 7 days a week to get the animals ready for transport. Even as this project consumed valuable time and resources, the staff put in tremendous effort to continue rescuing animals in need elsewhere, too.

We'd like to introduce Hank, or as we've properly renamed her, Henrietta. She was identified as a suspected 'nuisance bear' who became too comfortable around humans. In most cases, these animals are euthanized to try to prevent more damage to property and potentially humans. Henrietta is a rare case of exception. This case highlights an often-overlooked challenge when it comes to rescuing animals. With other bears like Henrietta, our hands are unfortunately tied by bureaucratic red tape. See, nuisance bears are defined as "wild" according to current policy. As a licensed Sanctuary we’re strictly limited in the number of “wild” animals that we can rescue per year. While this rule was clearly intended to prevent individuals from hoarding large numbers of wild animals, it means we’re unable to offer our potential help even if we have the space and resources to care for an additional bear. In these cases, it’s humans who have encroached on the bears’ natural habitat, making it more likely any bear could become a nuisance bear. At the Sanctuary we strive to be part of the solution, not add to the problem. At the very least, we encourage individuals to ask local agencies to find ways to consider bears like Henrietta for rescue instead of euthanasia.

To support future rescue efforts, please visit wildanimalsanctuary.org

Links:

• Click here to support future rescue operations