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Why Wildlife Rescue is Not Open to the Public
 Why
Wildlife Rescue is Not Open to the Public
by Dr. Craig Brestrup, Development Associate
For all of our thirty years in operation,
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (WRR) has had a sign
on its front gate stating that the sanctuary is not open to
the public, except, of course, for receiving injured, orphaned,
or otherwise needful animals. Similarly, our accrediting group,
The
Association of Sanctuaries (TAOS), expects that member
sanctuaries will not be open. We are often asked why.
Since most people have never visited a wildlife
sanctuary, and wouldn't find it easy since most are not open
to the public, they may think of them in the same way they
do of zoos. They may wonder why, since zoos actively encourage
people to buy tickets and view the animals on exhibit, sanctuaries
don't do the same thing. Both, after all, have captive wildlife.
It may help to understand the difference if
one remembers that zoos keep wildlife captive by choice in
order to exhibit them. Sanctuaries, on the other hand, keep
wildlife captive because they have no other place to go and
usually would have died, suffered, or been killed if left
in their previous conditions. Along the same lines, zoos breed
and trade animals in order to keep exhibits occupied. Animals
in sanctuaries mostly come instead from failed "pet"
or roadside zoo situations or as used-up retirees from research
laboratories.
 The
animals at WRR and other reputable sanctuaries, therefore,
have paid a heavy price for having had the misfortune of falling
into the hands of humans who wanted only to exploit them for
their own purposes. In coming to sanctuary they are finally
relieved of their suffering and removed from exploitation.
Sanctuaries want only to ensure them remaining lifetimes where
they can live as naturally as possible, undisturbed by human
uses. Compassion, a desire to offer restitution for what has
been taken from them, a philosophy that affirms the intrinsic
value of all members of the life community — these are
what motivate sanctuary existence and practice.
To exhibit the animals, we believe, would
only continue their exploitation, disturb their lives, and
communicate an unspoken message that wild animals may rightfully
and routinely be used for human purposes. We want to treat
animals with respect and encourage the public, through this
example, to reconsider their own attitudes and behaviors toward
animals. Ultimately, both humans and animals deserve respect
and the right to live the kinds of lives that are natural
to them with no unnecessary interference.
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