A Home Away from Home: True Stories of Wild Animal Sanctuaries

It's a sad fact that not all wild animals live in the wild. Since the world's first zoo opened in 1828 in London, the practice of displaying captive animals soon grew to include circuses, small collections, and private homes where they are kept as exotic pets. Exotic-animal dealers created a trade (often illegal) in wild animals large and small. Research and biomedical laboratories have used them as human substitutes for medical and scientific experimentation. The focus of this book is the sanctuaries that house many of these animals that are either no longer wanted or have been rescued from abusive situations.

Eight chapters cover the establishment of sanctuaries for a whole range of species, including primates, big cats, reptiles, elephants, birds and sea mammals. The author weaves the details through stories about individual animals that have landed in these refuges. They are unable to be returned to the wild for various reasons: born in captivity, no suitable habitat, injuries. Some of the sanctuaries came into existence as a result of a change of heart among people who had worked with captive animals in businesses or entertainment. Many arose from the animal protection movement, but, with the high cost and need for commitment, many have failed. The work continues for those that succeed in meeting international standards. The sanctuaries take many forms, from enclosed grassland and forested areas to large heated homes with sun rooms and pools. Elephants need huge natural spaces: one sanctuary is over 2,700 acres.

The stories are emotional and often sad to read, but learning about the specific cases clarifies the picture of the extent of the situation: Toby, a chimp born at a roadside zoo who finally found comfort in the company of others of his species in a sanctuary; Lambert, a lion bought as a child's pet, now lives in a well-run sanctuary in close-to-natural surroundings; Little White and Little Grey, beluga whales moved from the confines of an aquarium in China to a sea sanctuary south of Iceland. The author lists some 40 sanctuaries and organizations in North America alone doing essential rescue work. With a change in attitudes and some recent regulations preventing the cruel treatments of the past, they have been overwhelmed with numbers of animals to house and care for. The stories do not always have happy endings—life in captivity even in a well-run sanctuary is only a substitute for a life of freedom in the wild. But the reader will appreciate that the animals can live out their lives in relative comfort and safety provided by dedicated people.

Individual sanctuaries are profiled following a similar pattern with descriptions of the location and habitat, and numbers of animals housed in them, sometimes with a focus on the special needs of a particular animal: e.g. some must live with others of their species while some do not like company. The overview leaves the intended impression of a constant need for more and larger spaces and the difficulties of maintaining these sanctuaries at a high standard. The writing bogs down a bit with the numbers lists, especially in the big cats chapter: after reading a few, it's easy to gloss over that information. A visual presentation, e.g. graphs, might have reinforced the population detail. For the most part, though, the accounts are engaging.

Each chapter includes a single-page insert that gives more in-depth information about the species (e.g. the various types of monkeys and their habits) or about an exotic variation, such as rare white tigers. One of these sections describes Lucy, an elephant living alone at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and the ongoing debate over moving her to a sanctuary. The final chapter offers ideas for readers to support the sanctuary concept by not adopting exotic animals, not attending attractions or entertainment using wild animals, or by donating to or volunteering at a sanctuary.

Color photos accompany each chapter, showing the particular animal and its sanctuary habitat. These have informative captions, although one in the chapter on birds is mislabeled as showing budgies.

Few could argue that the best place for a wild animal is to be left in its wild setting. A Home Away from Home: True Stories of Wild Animal Sanctuaries brings to our attention significant information that may not be widely known, but which should give pause for thought, and inspire discussion.