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Reading an old news story on the Internet made me pause and reflect on what I was told over the years about the pseudo-sanctuary. Over and over I was told the sanctuary took in animals that were mistreated or in critical condition--several Internet articles will attest to these stories. I never saw an animal in critical condition arrive at either facility. Just the reverse, most animals arrived in pretty good condition--in such good condition that the "attending" vets told me they rarely went to the facility. If an animal did come in needing medical treatment, it was most likely euthanized once media attention disappeared and no one asked about the animal(s) health condition--you know the story...out of sight, out of mind.
Now that the weather has been extremely hot for the last several weeks, I am concerned for the animals' health and welfare. As a former volunteer, I can attest that the employees could not be bothered to clean the water bowls daily. When I showed up on the weekends, the bowls would be chocked with algae or swimming with mosquito larvae. Last year, tours reported being attacked by swarms of mosquitoes. I have little confidence the animals are receiving clean, cool water this year.
Since there are no enrichment programs at this facility, the monkeys have completely stripped and killed the trees that used to live within the animals' enclosure. When I visited a credible sanctuary last year, I observed within the large primate enclosures big beautiful trees and several jungle gyms for the monkeys amusement. When I commented (with a lot of surprise) that all their trees still had leaves, I was told animals receiving proper nutrition and simulations tend to leave the trees alone. The credible sanctuary's monkeys looked healthy and happy and so did their trees, so I guess it shows the pseudo-sanctuary's primates were not receiving proper nutrition and stimulation...hmmm...no surprise there.
At the pseudo-sanctuary's touring property, the big cats have absolutely nothing to do. While I was there, the animals did not receive any stimulation or enrichment. Recent video footage shows hard packed grounds with either dead or dying trees in their enclosures. The grounds are undoubtedly very hot -- making it difficult for the cats to move about their cages. Needless to say, there was very little natural shade for the animals. The water bowls were green with algae and the animals looked lethargic.
So while the directors are raking in the dough for their personal use, enjoying the comforts and clean water and A/C, the animals are left to suffer in the searing heat without any special attention. This facility, in my opinion, is a very sad road-side zoo and if someone doesn't do something to protect the animals soon, they may not all survive the summer heat.
Now that the weather has been extremely hot for the last several weeks, I am concerned for the animals' health and welfare. As a former volunteer, I can attest that the employees could not be bothered to clean the water bowls daily. When I showed up on the weekends, the bowls would be chocked with algae or swimming with mosquito larvae. Last year, tours reported being attacked by swarms of mosquitoes. I have little confidence the animals are receiving clean, cool water this year.
Since there are no enrichment programs at this facility, the monkeys have completely stripped and killed the trees that used to live within the animals' enclosure. When I visited a credible sanctuary last year, I observed within the large primate enclosures big beautiful trees and several jungle gyms for the monkeys amusement. When I commented (with a lot of surprise) that all their trees still had leaves, I was told animals receiving proper nutrition and simulations tend to leave the trees alone. The credible sanctuary's monkeys looked healthy and happy and so did their trees, so I guess it shows the pseudo-sanctuary's primates were not receiving proper nutrition and stimulation...hmmm...no surprise there.
At the pseudo-sanctuary's touring property, the big cats have absolutely nothing to do. While I was there, the animals did not receive any stimulation or enrichment. Recent video footage shows hard packed grounds with either dead or dying trees in their enclosures. The grounds are undoubtedly very hot -- making it difficult for the cats to move about their cages. Needless to say, there was very little natural shade for the animals. The water bowls were green with algae and the animals looked lethargic.
So while the directors are raking in the dough for their personal use, enjoying the comforts and clean water and A/C, the animals are left to suffer in the searing heat without any special attention. This facility, in my opinion, is a very sad road-side zoo and if someone doesn't do something to protect the animals soon, they may not all survive the summer heat.
