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KEENESBURG, CO - After the tragedy at the Cincinnati Zoo where a small boy fell into a Gorilla enclosure, a countrywide debate has started about whether or not zoos are a healthy environment for large animals. A man in Colorado has created a better option.
For the past 36 years, Pat Craig has worked to rescue large carnivores and rehabilitate them at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado. Many of these animals were taken in from zoos and circuses or were saved from abusive owners. Now they’ve got a permanent home where they can live in peace.
The sanctuary started after Craig visited a zoo and was shocked to find lions and tigers being kept in tiny cages. He found out that they were surplus and that they actually euthanize those animals. He wanted to do something about it, so he opened the first sanctuary in the country for large carnivores.
Now there are over 420 rescued carnivores living in the sanctuary. Everything from wolves, tigers, bears, lions leopards, and mountain lions.
Caring for these animals is a 7 day a week, 365 day a year job that Craig says that he is happy to do because it’s all for the animals.