During the confiscation, the officials heard scratching noises in the ceiling and discovered two leopard cubs stuffed in an air-conditioning duct. Craig spends between $4,000 and $8,000 a year to board one animal. The tigers aren’t alone at the sanctuary either: African lions, mountain lions, leopards, wolves, black and grizzly bears, servals, bobcats, coati-mundis (they look like a cross between a raccoon and an opossum) — oh, and an emu and a camel — roam these gentle hills. That was not possible before,” he noted. The sanctuary’s weekly meat bill is $6,000. Their two sons, Casey and Kelly, have never known life without wild critters. Pictures & Videos. “We have never rescued any creatures that had such distorted views of the world,” Craig says. The tiger brings his face inches from Craig’s and blows three puffs back. Gradually he introduced the leopard cub to the outdoors and, when he turned a year old, let him join the eight other leopards in their three-pen compound. In tiger language, they have just said hello. For the past 27 years, Craig has responded to over 800 requests from private citizens and government agencies to rescue animals from all over the country, as well as Mexico. At one point, Craig took in a mountain lion whose owner had fractured its skull with a baseball bat. window.dojoRequire(["mojo/signup-forms/Loader"], function(L) { L.start({"baseUrl":"mc.us18.list-manage.com","uuid":"07f75c58e86a14c66be62bd77","lid":"cd8f7aac3b","uniqueMethods":true}) }) He thought he’d get a few calls. The big cat locks its green-amber eyes on Craig and, shoulders hunched, creeps toward him. With The Wild Animal Sanctuary continuing to operate on 789 acres near Keenesburg, CO, this new 9,684 acre Refuge will allow the Sanctuary to continue saving Captive Wildlife far into the future. His father had died two years before, and Craig was running his family’s farm outside Boulder. Ricky the tiger was among those horribly abused. While Craig has earned the animals’ respect and affection, he has had some close calls. The law comes along with modalities, penalties and punishments that are well spelt out in the law that authorities think will help them protect the endangered wildlife species. After this ritual, called chuffing, Craig strokes the cat’s pink nose and soft forehead, and the tiger moans as if his biggest itch has been scratched. DONATE Options. “Their teachers were amazed at their imaginations,” Craig says. Then he wrote to all the zoos in the country offering a place for animals no longer wanted or about to be put to death. Local police insisted the owner remove the animals, one way or another. One of his 800-pound black bears, annoyed when Craig took a brush to his matted fur, bit him through the arm and tossed him around like a rag doll. For 18 years, Craig spent all of his high school teaching salary, plus money from construction jobs, on the sanctuary. Experts believe national legislation that grants rights over wildlife ownership, communal and private landowners can develop enterprises on the land they have set aside for protection based on a benefit-sharing model. Upon conviction, he or she is liable to a term of imprisonment not less than one year and not more than three years and a fine of not less than Rwf5 million and not more than Rwf1 million. The circumstances are often upsetting. Ways To Help. Pat Craig squats down and stares at. Then, with his top teeth perched on his lower lip, beaver-style, Craig blows three short puffs of air. At times it crosses borders, and therefore, aligning laws allows us to jointly fight these illicit activities.”. One big reason: Running an animal sanctuary isn’t cheap. They started selling donated merchandise, brought in more volunteers, encouraged people to sponsor individual animals, and opened the sanctuary to the public (visitors can now see the animals from an observation deck). The law also allows the country to align with regional and international standards. The year 2005 was especially crippling when relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina and the Indonesia tsunami dried up regular donations. Our Sanctuaries have incredibly unique programs that rescue animals from horrific captive situations and rehabilitate them so they can live and roam freely within large natural habitats … Pat Craig squats down and stares at the tiger. Animals. “Hi, Ricky.” Craig’s voice has climbed an octave. “Let’s say if one wanted to do crocodile farming, or if you wanted to acquire 1,000 hectares along Akagera National Park to let wildlife wander in your farm, you would be allowed to do so. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. It’s frustrating to Craig that his sanctuary — and the 12 other refuges in the United States that take in large mammals — can’t care for all the exotics that need homes. The crisis can be solved, Craig thinks, only by making the public aware of the suffering these animals endure. Wild Animal Sanctuary "The Moment" :30 Second Commercial on … Stage 2 Video He converted part of his farm into a licensed wildlife refuge with space for about ten animals. It is currently home to over 70 endangered grey crowned cranes rescued from the illegal pet trade, according to the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association. //-->