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 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

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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.

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