WILDLIFE SANCTUARY TO REOPEN NEXT YEAR.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer Wildlife Waystation The Wildlife WayStation is a 160-acre refuge in northern Los Angeles County dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating wild and exotic animals. A charitable corporation located within the boundaries of Angeles National Forest, the facility was founded in 1976 by animal activist supporters received heartening heart·en tr.v. heart·ened, heart·en·ing, heart·ens To give strength, courage, or hope to; encourage. See Synonyms at encourage. Adj. 1. news at a town-hall meeting Saturday, when they learned that the Tujunga animal sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death. could have its county permits secured and be reopened in early 2004. Waystation founder Martine Colette said 24 chimpanzees who have lived in makeshift housing - the cause for dozens of animal-welfare violation charges - will move into new cages in a few weeks. ``They'll be out of what I call the Black Hole of Calcutta Black Hole of Calcutta: see Kolkata. Black Hole of Calcutta Indian dungeon in which overcrowding suffocated prisoners. [Br. Hist.: Harbottle, 45–46] See : Imprisonment Black hole of Calcutta and into the bright sunshine of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ,'' Colette told the crowd. About 80 people attended the town-hall fund-raiser at the Burbank Hilton, paying ticket prices of $35 to $50 to support the sanctuary and hear about efforts to reopen it. The Waystation, home to 600 wild and exotic animals, has been closed to visitors since September 2001 because of health and safety violations. The sanctuary also lost its state and federal animal permits, which prevent it from taking in new rescues and exhibiting its animals. ``It's been very irritating,'' supporter Jan Bell said of the closures. Waystation officials have said many of their problems could be solved with the completed construction of new cages for 24 chimpanzees. But county officials had stopped work until the sanctuary completed an environmental review and secured a new land use permit and building permits. The Waystation had sought to circumvent that process with a court order to complete the cages, but county attorneys said in May that the Waystation should get their permits before breaking ground. The county has agreed to speed up the Waystation's permits and reopen for major donors, said Robert Lorsch, the businessman who is acting as the sanctuary's chief executive officer. Kerry Cavanaugh, (818) 3746 kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Reptile-rescue handler Jason Hoffman Jason Hoffman is an Australian football (soccer) player who currently plays for the Newcastle Jets. Hoffman is a striker. Hoffman was developed through NSWIS and Hamilton Olympic. He started as trainee at the Jets and has now been made a part of the first team squad. shows off an Argentine red tegu tegu skink-like lizards of the Americas; many genera and species including Tupinambis teguexin. lizard named Big Boy in support of the fund-raiser for the Wildlife Waystation held Saturday at the Burbank Hilton. (2) Volunteers for Wildlife Waystation sell gift-shop items from the animal refuge to help raise money to reopen the facility. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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