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ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS

MONTH: SEPTEMBER 2006

Fiscally troubled Rocky Mountain Wildlife sanctuary to close

Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center founder Pat Craig and director of public affairs Toni Scalera announced on August 15, 2006 that the 140-acre facility near Keensburg, Colorado, would close in two weeks due to lack of funding. Of the 150 resident animals, including 75 tigers and 30 bears, Craig said, "As long as I can afford to feed them, I'll try to find homes for them."

"Craig was almost $200,000 in debt and faced the same crisis in December 2005," wrote Dan England of the Greeley Tribune, "Donations gave him enough breathing room to organize a plan to stay open. But that plan was contingent on at least one $250,000 gift promised to him. Craig recently found out that the gift wasn't going to come through."

The Rocky Mountain Wildlife shutdown, announced only three days after the sudden death of Big Cats of Serenity Springs cofounder Karen Sculac, 47 (see Obituaries), threw into uncertainty the fate of about 250 animals altogether.
A third Colorado sanctuary, Prairie Wind, was reportedly already relocating animals due to financial trouble.

The American Sanctuary Association and Association of Sanctuaries have often placed animals from failing sanctuaries, but never before on such a large scale.

Craig founded Rocky Mountain Wildlife in 1980. The sanctuary relocated three times as it grew.