Sanctuaries in emergency?

Each new day, we get a little closer to our primary objective: to open a sanctuary for mistreated animals, illegally kept by individuals or abandoned. During the month of March, we exchanged on this subject with Delphine, from EARS. EARS is the coalition of European sanctuaries, including the APP sanctuaries (Spain, the Netherlands), the Natuurhulpcentrum (Belgium) and Refuge de l'Arche (France). Thus, our correspondent encouraged us to continue on this path which could help many non-domestic animals. We also joined the Born Free Foundation, during this confinement period, to have their expertise on the issue.

In France, there are very few structures capable of accommodating animals confiscated by the authorities. Among them, the Refuge de l'Arche and the Tonga Terre d'accueil association. Both received numerous wild animals, which they were able to send to their homeland. True victories, and a new life, far too rare for the number of animals in France while the number of animals kept in harmful or illegal conditions has never been so great. This is why Chapter Animals, aware of this problem of absolute urgency, is determined to act. For these animals, who never asked to be born in appalling conditions, we decided to create our sanctuary.

Perhaps you were unaware of it, but in France, the sanctuaries do not exist. The reason for this is very simple, they have no legal status. At most, they are zoos or animal parks. Yet the difference between a zoo and a sanctuary is enormous. In the first case, it highlights the regular reproduction of animals and exchanges with many zoos to avoid problems related to inbreeding. Regularly, these are beautiful animals that are put in the eyes of visitors and the old are more hidden. The sanctuaries have as missions to welcome animals entrusted by their owner definitively, abandoned, mistreated or confiscated by the competent authorities. It does not matter the age of the animal or its beauty. Reproduction has no place, since places in this kind of structure are limited, they must be offered to animals needing help more than to new births on the spot. Where possible, the layouts should be large. Finally, there is no show or interaction between visitors and animals.

In no case do zoos and sanctuaries have the same goals. We are not saying that all zoos are bad, we are not saying that all shrines are good. You have to be careful with that. For our part, we want to create a real refuge. We would like to allow large animal enclosures, more or less on one hectare per animal / group of animals. Maybe less, maybe more depending on the case. It will depend on each individual. As much as possible, in the same way as the two shelters mentioned above, we would like to be able to relocate the maximum of wild animals in their country of origin, within approved sanctuaries. What could be more beautiful for them than to find the land of their ancestor? Wouldn't enjoying a new life, without exploitation or abuse, be paradise for them?