Exotic animals moved from Mexico refuge under threat by gangs

AFP | Culiacán

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About 700 animals -- from elephants and crocodiles, to lions and tigers -- have been moved from a sanctuary in northwest Mexico to a ranch on the coast due to threats and violence from criminal gangs, refuge administrators said. The transported species, which also included exotic birds, had been housed at the Ostok animal refuge near Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state.

Since September, the city has been the epicenter of a bloody war between factions of the violent Sinaloa drug cartel, which has left more than 1,200 people dead and 1,400 missing, according to official figures.

The cartel is one of six Mexican drug trafficking groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.

The animal sanctuary’s administrators told reporters on Tuesday that for months they have received threats as well as had a van and equipment stolen.

“We are leaving because we run the risk of something happening to me and my team,” said Ernesto Zazueta, the director of the sanctuary.

Regular roadblocks and armed clashes in the region have also made it difficult for the sanctuary team to keep the captive wildlife fed, another reason to relocate them.

Their final destination is a site called “Bioparque El Encanto,” located in the seaside resort town of Mazatlan on Sinaloa’s Pacific coast and owned by a local businessman, Zazueta said.

Big cats and other exotic animals have long been found at Mexican ranches and other properties owned by drug traffickers, who adopt them as pets but then abandon them when fleeing authorities or rival criminal groups.

Since September, federal authorities have discovered at least 14 big cats, some seized in raids and others found in abandoned houses believed to be used for criminal activities.