All of the animals were originally owned by Terry Thompson, the man who was responsible for letting his collection of 56 exotic animals loose before killing himself in October 2011 in Zanesville, OH. Once large enough, Baloo will join his parents and other Black Bears in a 15-acre habitat, never knowing the terrible life of living in a steel and concrete cage, and being loved and respected for the amazing animal he is. 3 ½ years, the facility determined it was no longer able to provide the best home possible for Ajack and his litter-mate sister, Sijack. Zoo). Emily is now enjoying life with other bears in a spacious habitat complete with swimming tanks and play structures. The Sanctuary was incorrectly informed the male Coyotes had been sterilized, but the arrival of Marty and his sibling disproved that! Earlier this year, Maldonado-Passage was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot. Zoo and sold their babies into the cruel pet trade. As a result, the facility was ordered to be closed down and General and the other five Tigers were the last animals to be rescued from such a terrible life.
Hamilton: North Texas Humane Society Confiscation - Hamilton was found in a cage on the back porch of a lady’s house. Yes, it’s completely free.
Serendipitously, the executive team of Animals Lebanon discovered the Sanctuary and its large, natural habitats and asked if Foxy could live here. Often this is by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or U.S. Dillan will now join one of the Sanctuary’s female Asiatic Bears and they will together roam freely in a large acreage habitat and enjoy living a healthy life, free from harm and doing everything else Bears enjoy! Upon moving to Colorado, this incredibly handsome Fox’s owner discovered that possessing a Fox in the state is illegal. She will eventually be able to live the remaining years of her life with other Jaguars in one of the Sanctuary’s large acreage habitats. Bailey and Budahshay: USDA-mandated Relinquishment--Raised together since they were cubs, Tiger brothers, Bailey and Budahshay, were part of 24 animals suffering from declining care at an animal rescue facility in Spearfish, South Dakota. Zoo was operated by Joe Maldonado-Passage – otherwise known as “Joe Exotic.” The Netflix series chronicles the escalating feud between Exotic and Carole Baskin, a woman who founded a non-profit big cat sanctuary in Florida. In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, Lowe said he is forfeiting his zoo exhibitor license issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and closing the park immediately. Jessie II, Little Bear II & Coco: North Carolina Private Forfeiture - Jessie, Little Bear and Coco are Black Bears that were kept by a family - in a series of corn crib cages on a farm in North Carolina. Bonnie & Clyde: USDA Assisted, Louisiana State Park Surplus —Bonnie & Clyde lived in a Louisiana State Park Attraction that featured animals from the swamps of Louisiana.
Help PETA Protect Animals Abused for Entertainment. Orion: Mexican Zoo Forfeiture – Orion is a male African Lion that was born in a zoo in Mexico. Dark: Zoo Surrender - Male Lion, Dark, along with his mate, Haeri, and their cub, Haeryong, were obtained from a zoo in Seoul, South Korea. Booger lives a healthy life being able to swim in her pond, hibernate and doing everything else Bears enjoy! Chloe & Jake: CA Fish & Game and USDA Confiscation —Spotted Leopards, Chloe & Jake, came from “Tiger Rescue” in Colton, CA, when it was shut down in 2003. The zoo knew it was a terrible life for these beautiful Coyotes, so they asked the Sanctuary to rescue them and bring them to Colorado where they could live in a nice large natural habitat where they can roam freely for the rest of their lives. With his newfound freedom and better accommodations, Milo has a wonderful new life ahead of him. Sage most likely was one of fifteen Wolves rescued from a Minnesota fur farm in August 2018 before arriving at the California facility.
She now enjoys her time in one of the Sanctuary’s many large acreage habitats. The Sanctuary agreed to provide a lifelong home for all of them, and after a cross-country trek these Canadian residents became United States citizens! The Wild Animal Sanctuary rescued the animals 2017, but didn’t publicize it because of ongoing litigation. Zoo’s former owner, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, who goes by the name Joe Exotic, in jail for a murder-for-hire plot and the zoo under the new ownership of Jeff Lowe, but little is said of the current state of the G.W. When they were forced to sell their farm, the family decided they weren’t going to take the Bears with them, so they contacted our Sanctuary to help provide them with a stable and much more appropriate home. Addie and Avery: State Attorney Confiscation - Female Coati Mundis, Avery and Addie, were two of hundreds of animals confiscated from a rural roadside zoo that had fallen afoul of state animal welfare laws due to animals living in horrific conditions and subject to neglect and abuse. For many people, the story ended once Joe Exotic was sentenced to 22 years in prison (for seventeen counts of, In 2017, Colorado’s Wild Animal Sanctuary took in 39 tigers and 3 black bears. Huruma: City Zoo Forfeiture- Lioness, Huruma (“Uma”), and her litter-mate sister, Willa, came to live at the Sanctuary when a city zoo in Ohio needed to reduce the number of Lions it had. Even though the family had proper permits to keep him, they didn’t provide the attention and care that he needed. Montana: Ohio Roadside Zoo Surrender - Montana, a male Mountain Lion, was kept in a small cage inside a tiny road-side zoo along with many other animals that were supposedly “rescued”. Milo was able to be rescued and brought to the Sanctuary and now lives with other Tigers that are going through our rehabilitation process, so they can have and live in their own large acreage natural habitat. Her owners intended to use her for shopping mall photograph sessions. TWAS rescued Yogi and brought him back to Colorado where he now happily lives and plays with lots of other rescued bears. Zoo, “the biggest thing is that [the tigers] were all exploited to some degree,” according to Miceli. Sam: Indiana Fish & Game Confiscation -Black Bear, Sam, was confiscated after his owner was deployed to the Gulf War—leaving the Bear unattended in a small cage with a metal dumpster set in it as a house for him to live in. Now at TWAS, they are healthy and living a life surrounded by other Lions. Morena, Marta, Rosa, Rosita, Rosario, Campeon, Panchula, Fida, Kiara, Percy, Bob, Nancy, Pancho, Temuco, Kenya, Chitara, Dalila & India: Bolivian Lion Rescue - These Lions were confiscated by Bolivian authorities after a nation-wide ban on using animals in circus performances was enacted - and eight circuses refused to comply. Both Lilly and Bongo died at G.W. Ethel, Fred & Lucy: Ohio County Officials and USDA Confiscation - These Bears were rescued from Ohio, where they suffered great abuse by the person that kept them- until the facility was shut down by USDA and Wildlife Officials. Fortunately, the cubs were discovered. The Sanctuary was only too happy to offer a forever home to this very handsome Fox who now enjoys lots of room, enrichment and shares his life with the Sanctuary’s many other Fox. The people who found Maurice called TWAS right away and we gladly took him. Ben now lives in a large acreage habitat with lots of other bears! After an extensive search and review of sanctuaries, the zoo decided The Wild Animal Sanctuary would be the best place for the Bears to live. Lily: Private Forfeiture - Lily is a female Asiatic Black Bear that was rescued from a roadside zoo in Maryland. At such time The Wild Animal Sanctuary was contacted about taking-in these two Wolves and a male Lion in a similar situation. The owners were immediately forced to step in and move the Lion family out of the horse trailer, to keep the babies from getting crushed by the adults in such cramped quarters. Luna II & Miranda: Mexico Zoo Forced Closure - These siblings were born and raised in a Mexican Zoo where they suffered from poor nutrition and were forced to live in a very small concrete wall and dirt floor display. Mara: Private Forfeiture —Mara used to be in the film industry in California. These two were found as infants in an air-conditioning duct where they were hidden by their owners from authorities. The Sanctuary agreed to give them a permanent home where Snowy and his herd-mates will never have to worry about becoming food and can look forward to a long life living on hundreds of acres of natural land at the Refuge replete with meadows, hills and rocks like their native Tibet and first-rate care. Now that she has been rescued, CeCe will be able to live comfortably at The Wild Animal Sanctuary and have other Mountain Lion friends to live with. Good food, a better climate, and of course, good company, have given Ben a much better life! The Wild Animal Sanctuary – which is based in Keenesburg – has been able to rescue 39 tigers and 3 bears from the Greater Wynnewood (G.W.) Cana & Dian: Canadian Fish & Wildlife Confiscation — Male African Lion, Cana (pronounced Cane), and his brother Dian (pronounced Dee-on), were confiscated from a drug dealer by Canadian Wildlife Officials when they were only 6 weeks old. Luckily, that anguish ended once the animals settled into their new home.
As part of the legal proceedings that stemmed from this lawsuit, PETA’s legal team was granted access to the zoo to inspect the property. The Wild Animal Sanctuary currently has 85 tigers on its property – and 480 animals. All 21 Bears lived in barren concrete pits that were part of a tourist trap/roadside zoo. "[The documentary] has also provided us with an unfathomable source of income – income that will guarantee the long-term care of our animals and allow us to be very selective going forward," he said in the post. She became too much to handle and was relegated to a small wire cage in a shed where she spent her days. With pressure from many fronts, the zoo’s owner finally agreed to let Lily be rescued. All of them now live as a family pride in a large-acreage habitat—happier and safer than they have ever been. Now at the Sanctuary they rumble and tumble with each other, and all the other Bears. We’re working hard to protect tigers and other animals from the beatings, other abuse, and neglect common in the entertainment industry, and we need your support. I can still recall what it felt like to have my life change overnight…. Macey can now look forward to living out the rest of her life with plenty of food to eat, living in a Wolf pack and having acres and acres of room to roam! Thirty-nine of the tigers and three black bears formerly under Joe Exotic’s care are now living in the expansive habitats of Keenesburg, Colorado sanctuary. New York State Wildlife Officials, along with other Animal Welfare Agencies, raided the facility after the owner refused to comply with their attempts to raise the care standards there. Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter and video editor for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
Cody: Amusement Park Closure--Male Black Bear, Cody, was a long-time resident of an amusement park located in Florida. Mary, Pam, Bonnie II & Clyde II: Ohio Department of Agriculture Surrender/Confiscation—Black Bears Mary, Pam, Bonnie II and Clyde II and four African Lions were rescued from Zanesville, Ohio as a result of the new laws about private exotic animal ownership in Ohio. Buckshot had an extreme case of overgrown hooves and could hardly walk. They had each been housed with females they also bred with—Joe was kept with a chimpanzee named Lilly, while Bo was kept with a chimpanzee named Bongo. Eventually realizing that a Tiger cannot be a pet, the owner surrendered her to a wildlife rescue organization that works on a regular basis with our Sanctuary. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
All three Bears are now living together in a large acreage and enjoying their new freedom at TWAS. Kiro is now at a healthy weight and has regained his agility and mental health.