Foxes on the Sly

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Directly below you in Area #2 on the Tour Guide map is one of our large Fox habitats. Within this habitat are multiple Fox that may make you work to find them. Throughout your visit today, be sure to frequently check directly below you, especially in the warmer times of year when the walkway provides shade. Additionally, very often the Foxes are 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 is cooler out. Within this habitat there is an Arctic Fox who makes two complete color changes each year. As one would expect, he turns completely white during the winter months and is a dark brown during the summer months. The rest of the Fox are various hybrids and therefore have many different color variations. It is enjoyable to see the Foxes pounce and leap on small rodents and insects and to also watch them work hard at burying any food that they may receive. These rescued animals are always a delight when seen by guests.

 

You Gotta Look for the Animals

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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

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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 there are two Jaguars in-residence. They, like Leopards, are relatively rare in captivity so we have never had a large number of them. There is a typical orange-spotted Jaguar who 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.  The other Jaguar is a black female who spent the first 12 years of her life owned by a restaurant owner in Cancún, Mexico. She spent those years suffering from malnourishment and either being tied up in front of restaurants or in display windows to attract customers. The two of them arrived at the same time and very quickly were introduced to one another and became a bonded pair. They are often seen in the distance near or on one of their two den structures that look like large mounds of dirt.

 

Lions in the Distance

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Looking even farther west behind the Jaguars, there is a very large habitat with two African Lions. This pair of Lions and their daughter were rescued from a zoo in Seoul, South Korea. Tragically, a zookeeper made a mistake and was killed by the adult Lions. As a result, they were slated for euthanasia and isolated in small cells out of view of the public. Fortunately, an animal welfare organization in South Korea stepped-in and was able to delay the euthanasia and find a home for the animals here at the Sanctuary. During that time the female became pregnant and one female cub was born.  These majestic animals are now thriving in their large-acreage habitat where they regularly interact with neighboring Lion prides.

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