Founders Can Visit By Registering Below
If you are not yet a Founder, Click Here to Purchase One or More Acres
Choose one of four days to visit The Wild Animal Refuge this year.
* Note - These dates and events are only open to Founders that have purchased one or more acres at the Refuge.
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Habitat Construction
Creating large natural spaces for our rehabilitated animals to live in is what the Wild Animal Sanctuary and Wild Animal Refuge are all about! Rather than forcing formerly abused, abandoned and tortured animals to live in traditional cages, we always strive to provide the most natural habitats possible for every animal we rescue.
Of course, when a newly rescued animal arrives, we do not simply throw them into a large intimidating space. Instead, we implement a specialized rehabilitation process that is custom designed for each animal we rescue. The rehabilitation process involves allowing the animals to acclimate to their new surroundings and also have time to build relationships and meet future habitat mates in a way that is safe for all the animals involved.
In most cases, we temporarily install a more traditional cage-like enclosure within the habitat so the newly rescued animal feels safe and well protected. Over the next days, weeks or sometimes months, the animals within the enclosure gain an opportunity to see, hear and smell everything around them and also meet others who might already live within the habitat as well.
Usually, within days, the newly rescued animal feels comfortable in their new home and realizes they are not in danger. At this point, we open the door to their enclosure and allow them to choose when they want to exit the space and start their new life in the large natural habitat. For most animals, they are ready to venture forth with confidence and begin exploring the vast territory that surrounds them. For others, who want to be more cautious, they tend to venture outside their enclosure on short field trips, which allows them to explore the area surrounding their enclosure, but also gives them an opportunity to return to the enclosure for a sense of safety and security.
Over time, every animal leaves their introductory enclosure and begins living within and exploring their new massive territory. Once they are fully comfortable with their home and no longer return to the enclosure, we remove it from the habitat. In the end, we usually end up with numerous rescued animals living together with others of their own kind in a very cohesive and friendly group setting.
Of course, with the expansive size of each habitat, most animals can live within the space and not have to interact with others if they so choose. Most animals actually enjoy building relationships with their habitat mates, but once in a while there are those that enjoy a more solitary existence. Thankfully, we never force any of our animals to live with others and always provide solitary habitats when needed.
Ultimately, with many versions of habitats being available, every animal ends up living in an incredibly comfortable and natural manner. Seeing our rescued animals living such a free and natural life is what makes all of the hard work that goes into creating these spaces worth every bit of the effort and expense.
Building large acreage habitats that encompass hundreds of acres of land is very challenging. However, doing so in very a remote location is even more challenging! With nearly 10,000 acres of natural landscape to work with, our habitat construction crews have their work cut out for them.
Besides having to work in a very remote area of southeast Colorado, the crews working at the Wild Animal Refuge face a myriad of obstacles when building each habitat. Traversing hill tops, valleys, ravines and steep inclines, these dedicated crews continually stretch special high-tensile fencing in order to create unique and challenging habitats for the animals.
The end results are the most natural and pristine habitats that have ever been built for captive wildlife! Here inside these magnificent spaces, formerly abused and mistreated animals can live in peace and comfort. Gone are the horrific cages and terrible conditions the animals lived in previously, and now, they roam freely within expansive evergreen forests and lush grass-filled valleys.
This is how animals that are forced to live in captivity should be treated - rather than the steel and concrete cell blocks from which they came. However, the only way these animals can gain this kind of freedom is with your help!
Please join the thousands of other caring people that have contributed toward our Habitat Construction Fund and become an official Habitat Creator today! The animals will thank you - and so will we - as you can truly make a difference for many animals by giving this precious gift!
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.