Northern California has its own impressive collection of lions, tigers, bears and elephants, but the public should have no worries about them escaping, the sanctuary's operators said Wednesday.
The animals, most of which have been retired from circuses or zoos or rescued from abuse, live on 2,300 acres at the Performing Animal Welfare Society's compound in San Andreas. The nonprofit PAWS operates a much smaller sanctuary in Galt for elderly and sickly animals.
"California has the most rigid standards in the country" for facilities that house wild animals, said PAWS founder Pat Derby. The PAWS facility has 24-hour staffing, double locks on cages, double doors on barns, double gates at entrances and an 8-foot perimeter fence around the property, Derby said.
"It is our responsibility to make sure the animals are never left alone," she said.
In the aftermath of the Ohio incident, Derby and her partner, Ed Stewart, are urging states to enact emergency regulations restricting the sale and possession of dangerous wild animals for private ownership.
KCRA: Local animal group reacts to Ohio animal regulations - Oct. 20, 2011
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