Picking Up the Pieces of Our Shattered Hearts

 

Today is May 17, 2025. A sad day for animal lovers everywhere. I was in our family chat, mentioning the idea of everyone coming to Roseburg for a barbecue and a trip through Wildlife Safari for Father's Day and our anniversary on the 17th. My oldest daughter announced we may not be able to drive through the park due to it being shut down and under investigation. My heart began to pound. 

I immediately looked it up to see what was happening. Apparently the park was not only under investigation, but had been for years. Many citations had been doled out over the past 10 years or so, all claims about animals being neglected and in ill health. There were allegations of a rodent problem and a dead tiger along with several deceased turkeys in a freezer. The reports claimed animal control had to put a camel down to relieve its suffering from several health issues. 

Articles continued to state the veterinarian had not looked over any of these animals because he/she was not asked to and didn't take it upon himself or herself to research the reason why. A lion was seen walking in its run with ribs prominent under loose skin. 

Reports of a shooting of two bears came through a few articles as well. The bears, known as Sugar and Spice were playing in their run until a car backfired. Scared, Sugar ran for the electric fence. The bear was shot by staff, although the bullet ricocheted, hitting Spice as well. They shot Spice again to ensure he was dead, supposedly to "put him out of his misery." 

I read these reports while tears streamed down my face. Terry and I love the park and go there often. We purchase yearly tickets and donate when needed. The park is our go-to when we want something to do, as you can tell throughout the blog. 

After reading the articles and hearing from the girls, I shot a text to Terry, hoping he could make it all better like a white knight should. His reply was bittersweet. His returned text informed me it was not Wildlife Safari in Winston, but rather the West Coast Wildlife Safari by Bandon, Oregon. Terry helped me feel a bit better by taking away the feeling of betrayal by the park we know and love. However, it still left a broken heart because of the animal treatment described in the articles I read. 

Because of the news, the following day Terry, Mallory, and I set off for a Wildlife Safari adventure again. We wanted to speak to the staff of our beloved park and I guess also to ensure the babies were good and all was well in our small animal world. 

Driving through Wildlife Safari in Winston made us feel a bit better. Especially when we were seeing new life and playfulness of the animals here. No ribs showing under lose skin. No shallow flanks on creatures here. We laughed at the antics of bears, loved seeing the wild turkeys, wild geese and their babies, and camels lazing in the sun. At the beginning of the run, we even saw a lion and lioness having a spring fling. Mating has begun. 

Beautiful zebras stood in the pasture, grazing and enjoying their safe home. 

Plenty of room to run, lots of hay and other tasty foods around for the animals, and plenty of love and care. You can tell. 

We were blessed enough to see the new life in the park as well as the adults. It's a beautiful thing. 

Next up were the bears. A large, beautiful brown bear roamed around the run on one side, as two cubs played on the other side of the bear enclosure. One of the cubs was lazing around, ensuring he didn't work too hard at anything. The other was on top of the wooden play structure where a tire was on a post. He was spinning it around the post as if to make an attempt to pull it off the holder. 

He or she was not giving up easily, showing stamina and strength in the attempt to release the rubber plaything. 

Determined to get that tire down, the bear came at it from every angle. 

This cub was content lying in the grass, living its best life. 

Again, the gorgeous cheetahs are seen throughout the park. I read an article stating one of the cheetahs had four cubs. We didn't see them, of course, as I'm sure they are kept inside, away from the stress of the public eye. 

Terry was able to capture this close up of the cheetah. It's always frustrating with the fence in the way, but it has to be. 

Terry shot this close up of a lion enjoying what little sun was out. 

Front paws crossed, he was showing the relaxed life he leads. 

Two rhinos were rooting through the soil. 

In true spring form, flowers were blooming, new life sprung from animals in the park, and all is good. 

Terry and I headed into the gift shop to speak with the employees about the latest news on the park by Bandon. We found out the park being investigated is a private business and not under the watchful eye of all the government law enforcers on the treatment of animals in parks, zoos, and other animal sanctuaries. Because of this, the park was getting away with things that Wildlife Safari in Winston does not, and thank God for that. 

The bottom line is that all reputable zoos and wildlife parks are supposed to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the park south of Bandon was not. 

Wildlife Safari has and will be receiving some of the animals from the other park as it is remaining closed, as it should. This is another statement that came from employees that made my heart sing. The poor babies in the other place can join others here and enjoy life for a change. No starving of animals. No health issues that will not be looked at and ignored as they had before. The staff at Wildlife Safari loves animals and it shows through their hard work and dedication to keep the park and the animals healthy, loved, and clean. 

While we were at the park, we also found out the Wildlife Safari staff has been building a "canine" enclosure, where soon it will be filled with African wild dogs or painted dogs as they are also called. 

Staff members informed us it will be about another week until the enclosure is complete and several months before the dogs arrive, but they will be a great addition to the park. I can't wait!

Our trip was bittersweet, as I stated above. Happy to know that our trust in Wildlife Safari was not broken, but so heart breaking and soul crushing to know humans have treated other animals in another park that horribly. Such an awful way to die in starvation. I would hate to have the employees' karma for all of that. 

As far as I'm concerned, if you worked there, you had to have noticed something to make you know that the animals were not being cared for properly. This and this alone makes you complicit if you did not turn the park in or file reports on them. Apparently people did, whether people in the community or wherever. They had many complaints over the past 10 years of existence. Shame on them. 

Terry, Mallory, and I saw many other animals. Giraffes, hippos, guanacos, oryx. Many animals. We just chose to take our time and look at the beauty and grace of the creatures before us, without seeing them through a camera lens. Other pictures can be seen of all the gorgeous babies in the park by looking through the posts. We have taken many. 

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Take care of yourselves. Until our next post, may your life be filled with love, joy, happiness, abundance, and beauty. Thank you for reading the blog. Be sure to visit Wildlife Safari if you can. Donate if you feel good about doing so. Yearly passes can be purchased, along with many close up experiences with the animals. 

Every dollar helps the animals and the staff in keeping up with the park to make it the best home they can provide for those endangered creatures in our world. Take the scimitar horned oryx for example. There are none left in the wild until recently, when little by little they are being reintroduced into the wild. 

Scimitar horned oryx are almost extinct. Just recently they are being reintroduced back into the wild. 

Thank you for reading! Until next time, take care!