The Reality Behind the Scenes of Wildlife Sanctuaries vs. Roadside Zoos
“Chances are you’ve seen or read about a recent Netflix documentary bringing attention to roadside zoos and sanctuaries. And since Well Beings has partnered with Bolivia’s largest and most reputable animal sanctuary - Senda Verde - for our current campaign, we wanted to dispel some myths, share important facts about the life-saving work of sanctuaries and expose the cruelty of roadside zoos. As a wildlife conservation attorney and proud Well Beings Board member, I am pleased to guest blog on this important topic. This is especially timely given that COVID-19 is known to have transferred from wild animals to people, and we should be more careful than ever about human-wildlife interactions.”
Breanna Schultz and Amanda Hearst, Co-Founders of Well Beings.
First, let’s talk about what makes a sanctuary good.
A legitimate sanctuary:
only offers tours during limited hours and vulnerable animals are of limits;
conducts tours in a way that does not cause animals stress and gives them a chance to seek privacy and quiet if they want;
does not permit the public to have direct contact with wildlife (with some very limited exceptions);
does not breed the animals and does not commercially trade them; and,
depends on volunteers, visitors, and other donors to maintain and feed the animals.
You can help sanctuaries with visits, donations and social media shout-outs. You can also volunteer if that’s an available option. And please be sure to support our campaign for Senda Verde here.
Now let’s talk about what makes roadside zoos bad.
A roadside zoo:
is commonly a privately-owned for-profit zoo that exploits wild animals for money;
allows and encourages visitors to pay to take pictures holding and/or riding the animals;
often beats the animals into submission and keeps them in horrid, cramped, and unsanitary conditions; and,
sells cats and other animals to private buyers in the illegal wildlife trade.
What’s one way you can help stop the cycle of abuse for these beautiful animals exploited for our entertainment?
Simply stop supporting roadside zoos. Don’t like them on social media, don’t share their content, and don’t go visit them in person.
Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary
Well Beings is currently proudly partnered with a very legitimate sanctuary, Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary, which is Bolivia’s largest and most reputable animal sanctuary. Senda Verde rescues wild animals who have been injured, orphaned from wildlife trafficking, wildfires, and/or loss of habitat. Senda Verde is a special sanctuary because it offers rescued animals, who are not able to be released through the certified Bolivian release program, a permanent home.
You might see our founders, Amanda Hearst and Breanna Schultz, holding some of the rescued primates living at Senda Verde. This is appropriate because they are serving as volunteers under supervision of trained staff. The rescued, injured or orphaned howler and spider moneys you see with them are now raised by people in order to survive. Without the prospect of ever being released into the wild, they are now habituated to humans. It is important to note that in cases where animals have a chance at re-entry into the wild under the proper release program, Senda Verde would not allow human contact once the animal was being prepared for reintroduction.
Now more than ever, considering the spread of coronavirus, it’s important to support legitimate sanctuaries and wildlife conservation programs like Senda Verde. I want to thank you for supporting Well Beings and our effort to raise funds and feed the animals at Senda Verde in this time of the COVID-19 crisis.
To learn more about our Senda Verde Relief Fund, please click here.
- Masha Kalinina
To learn more about Masha, please click here.
