If you wish to access all of the audio files along the Walkway (to use your phone instead of the kiosks), please go to our main Audio Tour page.
Audio Kiosk #3
Foxes on the Sly
Directly below you is one of our large Fox habitats. Within this habitat are multiple Foxes that may make you work to find them. Most are Red Foxes with various color variations that were rescued from a now-closed Iowa facility that specialized in the breeding of Foxes for fur and fashion. Each animal spent their life in small, elevated cages made of wire on all sides – even under their paws! After a brief acclimation period here, they were soon enamored with their massive new home. Throughout your visit today, be sure to check directly below you, especially in the warmer times of year when the walkway provides shade. Additionally, the Foxes can be found curled up in the shady tall grass in the summer months. However, just as often, they might be laying out in the open—especially when it's cooler out.
You Gotta Look for the Animals
Keep in mind throughout your visit today that you will have to work a little bit to see animals. Yes, some may be quite visible and out in the open, but that is not always the case. Our experience has shown that the enjoyment of one’s visit is directly proportional to how much work they put into looking for animals. At the Sanctuary, we never force our animals to be on display so they may choose to be visible or not. Be sure to look both directly underneath the walkway where it is shady, but also out in the distance-- allowing your eyes to focus on objects farther away. It is also helpful to keep looking ahead of you and behind you because animals do move about, and an animal you missed a few minutes ago may now be within eyesight.
Jaguars
To the west, or towards the mountains, you’ll see a large jungle-gym type structure. This is a part of the Sanctuary’s Jaguar habitat. Currently thriving within is an orange-spotted Jaguar named, Manchas. Like Leopards, Jaguars are relatively rare in captivity, so we’ve never had a large number of them. It may be hard to believe, but Manchas began life as a so-called family pet in Mexico. The family quickly realized that they made a poor choice and, fortunately, he found his way to a rescue organization we work with in Mexico. He’s often seen patrolling his territory, climbing the platforms, or relaxing in the distance around one of the den structures that look like large mounds of dirt.
Lions in the Distance
Looking farther west behind Manchas, the Jaguar, there is a very large habitat with a pride of African Lions. This pride was rescued in 2023 from Puerto Rico’s only zoo in the city of Mayagüez. Damage from hurricanes, along with numerous other financial and animal welfare issues, resulted in the zoo’s closure in 2017 – and the subsequent lack of care each animal tragically suffered since. After years of countless animal deaths with no end in sight, the United States Department of Justice intervened and asked The Wild Animal Sanctuary to organize the placement and transportation for the entire zoo’s 700+ remaining animals! Months of hard work, combined with the kindness & generosity of our supporters, made this unprecedented, historic rescue a roaring success. TWAS found new forever homes for each animal across the nation – ranging from tarantula to elephant. These majestic lions are now relishing their large-acreage habitat where they regularly interact with neighboring Lion prides. The desolate, concrete confinement of their pasts is a distant memory.