Help Feed Rescued Exotic & Wild Animals in Arizona

30 Years of Rescue – And Why We Need You This Year-End

As we close out the year, we’re looking back on three decades of rescue and one very powerful truth:

None of this happens without you.

Because of your compassion, over 150 rescued wild and exotic animals currently live safely at Keepers of the Wild — from tigers, lions, and leopards to wolves, foxes, raccoons, owls, and more. This year, you helped us write some beautiful new rescue stories.

This Year’s New Beginnings

Thanks to you, 2025 was a year of second chances:

• Four orphaned black bear cubs found safe haven after being abandoned in the wild. You turned their fear and uncertainty into full bellies, soft straw beds, and a lifetime of care.

• Two grey wolves, Skyca and Blueca, arrived after another sanctuary retired. Instead of an uncertain future, they now roam, rest, and vocalize with dignity — part of our growing wolf family.

• Kadesh, a black leopard, continues to thrive in a forever home built around respect, space, and specialized care for big cats who were once exploited.

• Several fragile deer fawns, a sweet goat, and even a tiny squirrel all landed in our care this year. Each one needed urgent help; each one received exactly that because you made it possible.

Every one of these lives represents transport, specialized diets, vet exams, diagnostics, habitat modifications, and daily care. You were there for all of it.

Beyond Rescue: Enrichment, Advocacy, and Education

Your support doesn’t just open the gate — it makes daily life worth living for the animals.

• Enrichment toys & habitat upgrades
  From puzzle feeders and scent trails to durable toys for our big cats and bears, your gifts keep minds busy and bodies moving. Watching a rescued bear roll in fresh straw or a leopard stalk a new scent trail is more than cute enrichment — it’s essential behavioral health.

• Advocacy for animals used, bred, and discarded
  Our team continues to speak out against roadside attractions, private ownership, photo ops, and breeding for profit. Every rescued animal at Keepers is a living ambassador for why wild animals should never be props or pets.

• Education that changes hearts and habits
  Tours, school visits, and online storytelling help us share the animals’ histories and the realities of the exotic pet and entertainment trades. Children and adults leave understanding that we are not a zoo, but a lifelong refuge — and they carry that message back into their communities.

Your support fuels all three: rescue, lifelong care, and the movement to do better for wildlife.

Why Your Year-End Gift Matters So Much

While we celebrate 30 years as a nonprofit sanctuary, we’re also facing the very real costs of caring for:

• 150+ animals across ~49 species

• Rising food, hay, and meat prices

• Ongoing vet care, medications, and special diets

• Heating, cooling, and infrastructure repairs across 175 acres

Year-end giving is critical for us. It helps:

• Close the gap on this year’s operating costs

• Stock our freezers and pantries for the winter

• Plan confidently for 2026 rescues and habitat improvements

Simply put: the animals are counting on us — and we’re counting on you.

How You Can Help Right Now

If you’re able, please consider:

1. Making a special year-end gift to support food, vet care, and enrichment toys.

2. Becoming a monthly donor, providing steady, predictable support for the animals’ daily needs.

3. Sharing our project page with friends, family, and animal lovers who might be moved by these stories.

From the abandoned bear cubs and retired sanctuary wolves to Kadesh, the deer fawns, the goat, and that tiny squirrel — you turned fear into safety, and survival into sanctuary.

Thank you for standing with us for 30 years of rescue… and for helping us make sure year 31 and beyond are just as full of hope.

Links:

• KOTW Official Website
• KOTW Official Facebook Page
• Keepers of the Wild Official YouTube Channel