3 answers
Gio
Student
Portland, Oregon
4
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how would it be possible to start an animal sanctuary for exotic animals?
have been very curious about this...
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3 answers
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1933
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Gio !
I just wanted to say that this is a wonderful interest and can seem like a great thing to aspire to. The only downside of this is that you will need a lot of money to do this, and when I say a lot, I mean an enormous amount of money. So now that that is out of the way, let's consider some things that would prepare you to open an exotic animal sanctuary.
My first piece of advice is to become a Veterinarian. That will take about eight years and you will want to do this because in order to maintain, coordinate, socialize and work with animals you will have to know the ins and outs of various animals and exactly what they need. You will already be a DVM so you can directly treat, train and care for an animal in your sanctuary especially when medical situations and injuries arise and they will. This is definitely a goal that will make it better for you and the animals to achieve your long term goal.
The reason why it is very expensive is because you will have to, yes, first pay tuition for college, buy land, purchase food for the animals constantly. They will need grooming, too. Exotic animals require various foods and this will be a big expense. You will need to hire staff also. You'll also have to obtain permits and you can check more about this in the town that you want to open the sanctuary in.
You will have to work long hours in all weather conditions and clean the animal waste, make sure every animal has enough water. This is why you should start out small and gradually add more animals to your sanctuary. The animals also need socialization which takes time, too. You will have to hire caretakers at some point and you will need to pay them and decide if they can live on-site or off site according to your accommodations on your land.
I know that this sounds like a lot and is not meant to turn you away from your interest, but this is a realistic picture of what is needed to run a successful exotic animal sanctuary. Check with your local authorities about any land or business information you may need. Having a place where animals can live a good life is very rewarding and actually sounds like a lot of fun so do not give up. It is something that will take some years to plan and you will see that the process is well worth it in the long run.
Best wishes to you in all you do !
I just wanted to say that this is a wonderful interest and can seem like a great thing to aspire to. The only downside of this is that you will need a lot of money to do this, and when I say a lot, I mean an enormous amount of money. So now that that is out of the way, let's consider some things that would prepare you to open an exotic animal sanctuary.
My first piece of advice is to become a Veterinarian. That will take about eight years and you will want to do this because in order to maintain, coordinate, socialize and work with animals you will have to know the ins and outs of various animals and exactly what they need. You will already be a DVM so you can directly treat, train and care for an animal in your sanctuary especially when medical situations and injuries arise and they will. This is definitely a goal that will make it better for you and the animals to achieve your long term goal.
The reason why it is very expensive is because you will have to, yes, first pay tuition for college, buy land, purchase food for the animals constantly. They will need grooming, too. Exotic animals require various foods and this will be a big expense. You will need to hire staff also. You'll also have to obtain permits and you can check more about this in the town that you want to open the sanctuary in.
You will have to work long hours in all weather conditions and clean the animal waste, make sure every animal has enough water. This is why you should start out small and gradually add more animals to your sanctuary. The animals also need socialization which takes time, too. You will have to hire caretakers at some point and you will need to pay them and decide if they can live on-site or off site according to your accommodations on your land.
I know that this sounds like a lot and is not meant to turn you away from your interest, but this is a realistic picture of what is needed to run a successful exotic animal sanctuary. Check with your local authorities about any land or business information you may need. Having a place where animals can live a good life is very rewarding and actually sounds like a lot of fun so do not give up. It is something that will take some years to plan and you will see that the process is well worth it in the long run.
Best wishes to you in all you do !
Nirah Shomer, DVM PhD DACLAM
Senior leader in laboratory animal science, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance
63
Answers
Updated
Nirah’s Answer
The answer really depends on where you plan to locate the sanctuary, the activities that will take place (eg open to the public? Breeding?) and the species you plan to house.
Most municipalities have specific zoning laws and animal laws that govern what animal are allowed to be in the city limits, and the number of those animals. Although you can always apply for a permit and a zoning variance, if you want to house tigers in a suburb, chances are it’s just not legal or possible. Depending on the species, you will need to follow federal, state, county, and city regulations.
The species is also extremely important. Exotic technically means that you are asking about animals that are not native, for example kangaroos, tigers, hedgehogs, anacondas. If you do in fact mean to provide sanctuary for native wildlife, that falls under US fish and wildlife and your state’s fish and wildlife organization. Many exotic animals are considered invasive pests, and there are further restrictions on how or whether you can house them.
I suggest you repost your question with more specifics: what kind of animals and what kind of sanctuary are you asking about. Better yet, you could contact sanctuaries of the sort that you were interested in founding, and ask how they started. Sanctuaries that are open to the public or that accept public donations will often have a webpage with their mission statement and history.
If you were thinking about starting small by taking in injured wildlife, I would like to remind you that this activity is highly regulated in most states. You need to have a wildlife rehabilitators license to take in most kinds of wildlife. Being a veterinarian or veterinary technician does not give you the right to house wildlife species – at best, in most states, you are allowed to treat them. Waterfowl and raptors are highly regulated at not just the state level but also the federal level.
Please note that in no way do I want to discourage your interest in taking care of animals. I just want to make sure that you are aware of the many regulations involved in exotic animal husbandry. Beyond that, you also need to have the resources to provide consistent care for these animals, including appropriate enclosures, feed, and veterinary care. Depending on the species this could easily take Millions of dollars.
Most municipalities have specific zoning laws and animal laws that govern what animal are allowed to be in the city limits, and the number of those animals. Although you can always apply for a permit and a zoning variance, if you want to house tigers in a suburb, chances are it’s just not legal or possible. Depending on the species, you will need to follow federal, state, county, and city regulations.
The species is also extremely important. Exotic technically means that you are asking about animals that are not native, for example kangaroos, tigers, hedgehogs, anacondas. If you do in fact mean to provide sanctuary for native wildlife, that falls under US fish and wildlife and your state’s fish and wildlife organization. Many exotic animals are considered invasive pests, and there are further restrictions on how or whether you can house them.
I suggest you repost your question with more specifics: what kind of animals and what kind of sanctuary are you asking about. Better yet, you could contact sanctuaries of the sort that you were interested in founding, and ask how they started. Sanctuaries that are open to the public or that accept public donations will often have a webpage with their mission statement and history.
If you were thinking about starting small by taking in injured wildlife, I would like to remind you that this activity is highly regulated in most states. You need to have a wildlife rehabilitators license to take in most kinds of wildlife. Being a veterinarian or veterinary technician does not give you the right to house wildlife species – at best, in most states, you are allowed to treat them. Waterfowl and raptors are highly regulated at not just the state level but also the federal level.
Please note that in no way do I want to discourage your interest in taking care of animals. I just want to make sure that you are aware of the many regulations involved in exotic animal husbandry. Beyond that, you also need to have the resources to provide consistent care for these animals, including appropriate enclosures, feed, and veterinary care. Depending on the species this could easily take Millions of dollars.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Gio
Karin P.
Lecturer
375
Answers
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Gio,
What Nirah and Michelle said.
It might be a good idea to start by volunteering at some of the existing animal sanctuaries to get some experience. You can also find out how they started out, what is needed in terms of money and workforce, and how they are managing the place (I have not vetted these places, so they may or may not be good).
https://www.americansanctuaries.org/accredited-sanctuaries
https://becausewematter.org/
https://foreverwildsanctuary.org/
https://www.wildanimalsanctuarytexas.org/
https://www.threeringranch.org/
https://dunrovincountrystore.com/exotic-animal-sanctuary
https://www.neamb.com/travel-and-vacations/5-exotic-animal-sanctuaries-where-you-can-visit-or-volunteer
Good luck!
KP
What Nirah and Michelle said.
It might be a good idea to start by volunteering at some of the existing animal sanctuaries to get some experience. You can also find out how they started out, what is needed in terms of money and workforce, and how they are managing the place (I have not vetted these places, so they may or may not be good).
https://www.americansanctuaries.org/accredited-sanctuaries
https://becausewematter.org/
https://foreverwildsanctuary.org/
https://www.wildanimalsanctuarytexas.org/
https://www.threeringranch.org/
https://dunrovincountrystore.com/exotic-animal-sanctuary
https://www.neamb.com/travel-and-vacations/5-exotic-animal-sanctuaries-where-you-can-visit-or-volunteer
Good luck!
KP
I appreciate your support, Karin
Gio