Got up around 7:30 this morning, and Marty was already up and off to the gym for a workout with his trainer. It’s CHILLY and windy this morning (43º). Around 10 o’clock I followed Marty in to Folsom so he could take his Reatta to the shop. In the heavy rains it leaks around the windshield, and the front passenger side window doesn’t roll down all the way, so he wants those things fixed. While we were in Folsom, we were just a few minutes away from the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. I’ve been wanting to go there for quite a while, and this seemed like a great opportunity for that.
According to the zoo’s website: “…Since 1963, this small unique California zoo has been providing sanctuary to some very special animals. All are non-releasable. Many were raised, and rejected, as wild pets. Others were injured or orphaned in the wild. Most are native to North America…The zoo teaches about common and uncommon animals, both wild and domestic, and includes those in between, like feral pigs and wolf-dog hybrids. Zoo programs stress that wild animals don’t make good pets… Our primary goal is teaching responsible behavior toward all animals. The zoo/sanctuary is not American Zoo and Aquarium accredited because the AZA code of ethics is not in keeping with our own (we don’t breed, sell or trade animals.)…”
Because it was so chilly, some of the more “tropical” animals wouldn’t come out from their warm kennels, but we still got to see most of the small group of animals they have at the zoo: tigers, wolves, a black bear, coyotes, foxes, peacocks, feral cats, mountain lions, a bobcat, mule deer, golden eagles, miniature burrows, etc. Some of the animals there had sad stories. Some of the tigers had come from another “rescue” that was raided in 2008 when complaints about the place were made to the authorities. When Animal Control went into the place they found lots of tigers and other big cats in the place dead or dying, and more bodies were stuffed into freezers on the property. So sad. One of the foxes, Isabell, had been part of a breeding program for animals that were used for television shows. She was thrown out, though, because rather than being a full “red fox” she had traces of black and gray in her fur, and the breeder didn’t want her. She was a beautiful animal; it was sad that she was basically “abandoned” just because of her color… Some of the animals in the place had quite elaborate pens to roam in. The bears’ space had hills and a small “river” in it; and the deer had hills and trees and a little stream in their space. It’s a tiny zoo; you can get through the whole thing in about an hour. But it’s a nice place, right next to a city park and a big library… I’m glad we were able to visit it.
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