Lions

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Directly below you and to the south are two African Lion prides. Some of these Lions have been at the Sanctuary since the early 2000’s - including some that were the subject of a documentary that came out in 2010 called “The Elephant in the Living Room”. This documentary looked at the problem of exotic animals in the state of Ohio and can still be viewed through online streaming services. Another one of the Lionesses was rescued from a closed safari park in Spain. Lastly, the male in the further, more southern habitat, was a rescue residing at our Wild Animal Sanctuary Texas facility until it was determined that the lion companionship of this location was better suited for him.

 

Camels, Horses and Mules

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To the south you will see a large, 65-acre area of pastureland. You may also see Camels, Horses and Mules. Even though the Sanctuary’s primary mission is to rescue captive born large carnivores, we on occasion rescue other animals that are in dire need of a home or being saved from being euthanized. Once rescued, the animals are simply allowed to live out their lives free of any human expectations. A roan-colored horse that may be visible was rescued along with a Tiger that was rescued from an 83 year old woman in Oregon who could no longer care for either animal. The Sanctuary is proud to allow these animals to return to a life of dignity and ease.

 

Kangaroos, and Farm Animals

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Although they may be difficult to see, to the south and a little bit to the west where the second set of buildings is, the Sanctuary has a number of rescued potbelly Pigs, Kangaroos and Wallaroos. All of these animals came from a terrible hoarding situation in Ordway, Colorado in early 2019. At the time the Sanctuary was asked to assist with this dire situation, it was the only facility that could take all of the animals at one time. Also from this rescue, the Sanctuary took in a Camel, some Donkeys, Goats, Horses, Tortoises, Patagonian Cavies and various waterfowl. Many of the animals were rehomed to other sanctuaries that could provide a more suitable climate. One may be tempted to ask how the Kangaroos and Wallaroos do here in Colorado. Like all of our animals, they adapt by growing longer fur to keep them warm during the winter. But we also provide a heated, enclosed building for them for more extreme weather. If you take your time and patiently look, you may see some of the Kangaroos and Wallaroos hopping around their multi-acre enclosure.

 

More Land

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​When the Sanctuary first moved to this location in 1994, there were almost no other people living in the area. It was literally an ocean of wheat fields. However, if you look around you will begin to see that more and more houses are being built in every direction. As you can imagine, land is essential to the operation of the Sanctuary-- both for the animals, of course, but also to provide a buffer from civilization. Since 1994, the Sanctuary has grown from 160 acres to its current size of 1,214 acres! Hoping to acquire additional land for these purposes, the Sanctuary approached neighbors in 2017. However, for a number of reasons, including the oil drilling boom in Weld County, surrounding land owners were not willing to sell their property even though they had previously given indications they would do so. As a result, the Sanctuary looked farther afield and in 2018, ended up acquiring a nearly 10,000-acre plot of land in southern Colorado – now called, “The Wild Animal Refuge”! If you have interest in supporting that incredible facility by becoming a “Founder”, please seek more information at the check-in kiosks upon your return to the Welcome Center.

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