Press Room
Welcome to The Wild Animal Sanctuary’s Press Room! This page is designed to help news reporters, feature writers, news photographers and photojournalists, and students who need information about TWAS to complete their assignments. Exciting rescue stories, photographic and video essays, endearing animal stories… these and many more options for journalistic and photographic news articles give writers, videographers and photographers a lot to capture with their creativity.
Here you will find the Sanctuary’s logo, history and background information about The Wild Animal Sanctuary, as well as its Founder and Executive Director, Pat Craig. There’s also a short video clip about TWAS and its work to rescue captive exotic and endangered large carnivores, give them a wonderful life for as long as they live, and educate about the tragic plight of an estimated 30,000 such animals in America today.
More information about urgent rescues, particular animals or species, or additional video footage or photographs may be obtained by calling the Sanctuary office at 303-536-0118. Please feel free to call us, and we thank you for featuring our animals in your work!
The Wild Animal Sanctuary – History and Background
The Wild Animal Sanctuary is the oldest and largest nonprofit Sanctuary in the US dedicated exclusively to rescuing captive exotic and endangered large carnivores, providing them with a wonderful life for as long as they live, and educating about the tragic plight faced by an estimated 30,000 such animals in America today.
Established by Executive Director Pat Craig in 1980, Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center, DBA The Wild Animal Sanctuary, is a state and federally licensed zoological facility and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Originally started on Pat’s family farm outside Boulder, CO, TWAS soon moved to Lyons, CO, where there was more room for the animals, and to provide for future expansion. After eight years in that location, TWAS was forced to move again due to a limestone quarry moving in nearby. The Sanctuary currently sits on 320 acres 30 miles northeast of Denver, CO. There is plenty of space for the animals’ 15 large acreage habitats, along with room to grow while still maintaining large grassland buffers.
TWAS is now located near Keenesburg, Colorado, (link to map), and we are open for visitors year round, daily, 9am-4pm, except major Holidays and bad weather. During summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we extend our hours from 9am – sunset.
The Sanctuary is located on rural, rolling grasslands about 50 miles east of the Rocky Mountains. Comprising 320 acres and sheltering more than 200 Lions, Tigers, Bears, Leopards, Mountain Lions, Wolves and other large carnivores, it is the first sanctuary of its kind to create large acreage species-specific habitats for its rescued animals.
Since January, 1980, The Wild Animal Sanctuary has responded to nearly 1,000 requests from private citizens and government agencies to rescue animals from across the United States and in Mexico. Our furry residents were abused, abandoned, illegally kept, or were victims of other terrible situations. At TWAS, the animals come first! Providing expert care and rehabilitation, exceptional diets and enrichment, and large spaces in which to roam make life for our rescued animals the kind of life they would have if they could choose it. Education about the Captive Wildlife Crisis…its causes and solutions…is critical to changing social consciousness today, in order to provide a better future for captive wild animals. TWAS welcomes visitors, school groups and organizations to our Education Center at the Sanctuary, and also has a Speakers Bureau whose members do presentations for a variety of businesses, universities and other organizations.
A shocking statistic about America’s Captive Wildlife Crisis…the illicit exotic animal trade is the third largest source of illegal profits in the world today, just after illegal drugs and weapons! In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 30,000 captive large carnivores living outside the zoo system. There are 4,000 Tigers living as “pets” in private homes in just the state of Texas – more Tigers than exist in the wild throughout the world. Countless other Great Cats, Bears, Wolves and other large carnivores live in abusive conditions in roadside stands, circuses, magic acts, traveling shows, and other substandard situations. Untold numbers of animals suffer and die each year due to neglect, abuse or because they are abandoned and left to die, starving and alone.
Public Safety is also a serious issue. Every year, people get hurt or killed by captive wild animals that have not been properly housed, or because the people were allowed to be in unsafe situations by the animals’ owners or keepers. TWAS is called upon by local, state and national law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety in situations where the public and/or animals are at risk.
The three main points of our mission…to rescue captive large carnivores who have been abused, abandoned, illegally kept or exploited…to create for them a wonderful life for as long as they live…and to educate about the causes and solutions to the Captive Wildlife Crisis…these things are what we commit to for the animals, and for the humans who help to make a positive difference for them.
Pat Craig, Founder and Executive Director
Pat began saving captive wildlife at age 19, while still a college student. From his first animal, a Jaguar cub, which he kept in a small licensed compound on his family farm outside Boulder, CO, Pat’s vision has led, 30 years later, to the oldest, largest nonprofit sanctuary in North America dedicated exclusively to the rescue of captive exotic and endangered large carnivores who have been abused, abandoned, exploited or illegally kept. He has pioneered the building of large acreage species-specific habitats, giving the rescued animals wide open spaces in which to roam.
Pat’s 30 years of experience in captive large carnivore behavior and sanctuary development have led to his becoming a leading expert in the field. He has participated in The Association of Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuary Association, on whose board he served. Pat lectures regionally and nationally on captive wildlife rescue and transportation, great cat behaviors and diets, and has worked tirelessly toward better protection for these animals. He works successfully with the USDA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and many other state and national organizations in the never-ending rescue of animals in need. Pat has also worked with Mexican agencies on rescues from that country.
Pat’s time as a designer and contractor has been key in his creating and building the unique and expansive infrastructure that makes up the 320 acre Wild Animal Sanctuary today. He has used his background in secondary education to develop extensive wildlife curriculums pertaining to the Captive Wildlife Crisis. He has developed detailed plans for the National Institute for Captive Wildlife Protection.
Pat oversees and participates in all TWAS’ operations, including rescues, animal care, building operations and maintenance, development, administration, and education. He is also TWAS’ resident computer and audiovisual guru, handling social networking applications, producing Sanctuary videos, taking photographs and formatting the quarterly newsletter. Pat has a BS in Education from the University of Northern Colorado, and has received recognition from many sources, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Humane Association, and from E-Town Environmental Radio Show. He was a finalist in Animal Planet’s 2006 “Hero of the Year” competition.
Pat is available for interviews by calling 303-536-0118.
