We took a trip to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center (SWCC) in Scottsdale to learn more about the Mexican gray wolf. The U.S. Forest Service will be releasing a pair near Payson and we wanted to learn more about this animal. We have been reading some inaccurate reports in our local newspaper.
This facility rescues native wild animals and is the only one in Arizona capable of handling large animals. It is a holding facility for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program. Southwest Wildlife participates as a member of the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan.
We were surprised by the number of animals living here on 10 acres in the desert. Some of the animals can never be released back into the wild due to their injuries or because they have been kept as pets and have imprinted on humans. They live out their lives in this accredited wildlife sanctuary.
This is Himuti, an endangered Mexican gray wolf. He was born into captivity, but his genetics are important to the survival of the Mexican gray wolf population. There are only about 50 Mexican gray wolves in the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona, which is not a big enough population to ensure their survival. Himuti can never be released, but his genetics will be harvested, and stored to ensure the Mexican gray wolf population will remain diverse.
This is Leonardo the Leopard. He was bred for the entertainment industry and born in a cage. He spent the first two years of his life entertaining humans in a Las Vegas show. His canine teeth and all his claws were pulled out so that he was "safe" for the audiences. He was sold to a small zoo and pet store in AZ, and after 7 years, Southwest Wildlife stepped in and took Leonardo. At that time one lung was collapsed and he had a severe case of pneumonia. His feet were mutilated from being declawed. Today, he is a happy cat, he loves lying on his perches, running in his grass, and playing with his toys.
Indiana Jones was living as a pet in an apartment. He, of course, shredded the furniture and curtains, and his owner brought him to SWCC. Indy likes to play in the hose, and jump in his water tubs to cool off.
Baby bobcats were cared for this spring and summer.
Berry is a black bear that was taken out of his den by some young boys. They took the cub home and kept him for quite a while before their parents found out. Once the parents found out, Berry was sent to a zoo and was put in with some female bears, but because Berry was raised by the boys, Berry had a hard time communicating with the female black bears. The females began picking on him so he was sent to SWCC. Berry was eating peanut butter off the fence in this picture. Along with fruits, veggies and some meat, Berry eats 10 peanut butter sandwiches every day for his dinner.
This is Spock the bobcat. He was found in the Casa Grande area after being attacked by a dog. He lost part of his front right foot, so he had to have surgery. He now has a limp and would not be quick enough to survive in the wild. He is very shy and loves his mouse-icles,
This is one of the "young ins" enjoying some sun time.
Tocho, a beautiful mountain lion, was orphaned after his mother was shot by a poacher. He had not yet been weaned from his mother when he was sold by the poacher to two young men. They made him a pet and kept him in a dark shed where he was deprived of sunlight and fed an improper diet. He was rescued by Game and Fish and brought to SWCC. He had 3 broken legs and a crushed pelvis and his improper diet caused him to have weak and fragile bones. Today Tocho is healthy and enjoys getting his ears scratched (through the fence) and purrs when he is happy. He lives with two females and loves to chase them around.
This is Grandpa, the desert tortoise. He lives by himself because he has a habit of flipping over all the other turtles. He goes to schools and is an ambassador for Southwest Wildlife.
I would love to volunteer for this facility. It's too bad it takes 90 minutes to get there from Payson. I am still thinking about it. These animals made a big impression on me. (And there are many more than the ones I chose to highlight in this blog post.)
