Predator Pets (2018) Season 1 Episode 9
This week's episode takes you inside the elephant enclosure at Charlie Sammut's Monterey Zoo. The largest horn circumference on record belonged to Woody, a Watusi bull from Bar G ranch in Utah. Seeing the aftermath of pet owners who don't properly care for their predator pets inspired Bobbi Brink to open a sanctuary and bring lions, tigers, and bears to California.
#documentary #animals
This week's episode takes you inside the elephant enclosure at Charlie Sammut's Monterey Zoo. The largest horn circumference on record belonged to Woody, a Watusi bull from Bar G ranch in Utah. Seeing the aftermath of pet owners who don't properly care for their predator pets inspired Bobbi Brink to open a sanctuary and bring lions, tigers, and bears to California.
#documentary #animals
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00Humans have had a close relationship with animals for thousands of years.
00:26Scientists agree the domestic dog has been a trusted pet for around 15,000 years, and
00:31cats became part of the household from 10,000 years ago, and now it's estimated there are
00:37at least 600 million pet cats in the world.
00:41Exotic pets have also been kept for thousands of years.
00:46It's well documented that the Egyptians kept baboons as pets, and exotic animals kept in
00:51the home feature in many ancient texts.
00:55In modern times, the keeping of exotic pets has increased.
00:59A staggering statistic is that there are more tigers in the U.S. alone than there are in
01:04the wild.
01:09Animal owners truly believe they are playing a role in preserving the numbers of exotic
01:13animals, but on the other side of the debate, there are those who believe it is a cruel
01:18practice to keep any animals in captivity.
01:22This series explores the issues from both sides, from those who know the dangers, but
01:30see the benefits, to others who condemn the keeping of exotic pets.
01:35Their stories follow.
01:40Standing next to an elephant is an awe-inspiring experience.
01:44There is a thrill that comes with being so close to a wild animal, a mix of fear and
01:49excitement.
01:51No matter how exhilarating it is, there's always an element of danger.
01:56Charlie Samet is the founder of Monterey Zoo in Salinas, California.
02:01It's because of his experience, and incredible way with his animals, that working, not just
02:06so close to, but actually amongst a herd of elephants is even possible.
02:11Christy, Paula, Buffy, there must be a convention going on down there that I wasn't made
02:20aware of.
02:21Howdy, girl.
02:22Come on.
02:23You ever been in a stampede?
02:24This is the first time for everything.
02:25Howdy, girl.
02:26Move up.
02:27Ah, what's going on here?
02:28Hmm?
02:29What's going on?
02:30Oh, there's a little guy.
02:31That's gross.
02:32This is Christy, Paula's girl.
02:33Hi.
02:34Hi.
02:35Hello.
02:36Hello.
02:37Hi.
02:38A little girl.
02:39Hi.
02:40Hi.
02:41Hi.
02:42Hello.
02:43Hi.
02:44Hi.
02:45Hi.
02:46Hi.
02:47Hi.
02:48Hi.
02:49Hi.
02:50Hi.
02:51Howdy, girl.
02:52Howdy.
02:53Hi.
02:54Hi.
02:55Hi.
02:56Hi.
02:57Howdy.
02:58Hi.
02:59Howdy.
03:00This is Christy, that's Buffy. Buffy was a carnival elephant, Christy was a circus elephant.
03:08They just both found retirement homes here.
03:11I do have to say though, from the entertainment industries they came from,
03:15they came to us very healthy, very sound, very well taken care of.
03:20So they weren't what I would consider a rescue by any means.
03:24They were just done working in those environments and needed a place to retire.
03:32Had it not been for Charlie, there's no way we would have felt comfortable enough
03:36to come so close to these potential lethal heavyweights.
03:42Somebody once said that the day you get elephants your life changes forever,
03:47and they couldn't have been more right.
03:49So our entire lives revolve around these elephants.
03:52If we're on a boat somewhere in the Bahamas and I get a phone call that one of them is down,
03:57we're on a plane home.
03:59It doesn't matter, nothing comes before the elephants.
04:02They're literally your children.
04:04They're very demanding, they are dangerous.
04:10When you first get them you have to move into their lives very carefully.
04:14This is Paula, she's our old lady and it's really kind of funny that she's here right now.
04:18Because she's usually so bashful.
04:21What are you doing? Huh?
04:24Charlie started out in law enforcement with no ambition to work with exotic animals.
04:29What are you doing?
04:31I was a police officer here in Seaside.
04:34We served a warrant one night and arrested somebody.
04:37And he had a pet mountain lion in the back in his garage.
04:41And long story short of it, I ended up with it.
04:44I took it home that night.
04:46Stupidest thing I ever did.
04:48I threw a mountain lion in the back of a Toyota pickup truck with a camper shell and took it home with me.
04:54I put it in my dog kennel in the backyard.
04:57That's where it all started.
04:59Hey, what are you doing?
05:01Of course, once you've got a mountain lion, why not also get an African lion?
05:07Charlie did and it would change his life completely.
05:11The lion turned out to be an extraordinary animal named Joseph,
05:14who led Charlie into a new career working with Joseph and other animals in the film and entertainment industry.
05:22Still, he certainly never imagined he would end up owning elephants.
05:29Really? How rude.
05:33My personality does tend to lend itself to doing well with them.
05:36I'm fairly aggressive, fairly dominant.
05:39And they respond well to that.
05:41They're very comfortable with that.
05:43So we've always done very, very well together.
05:46But I got to tell you, we've had some horrifying days.
05:50Sad days that we've lost two.
05:54And it's taken weeks to get over.
06:00What are you doing?
06:03So I guess some could argue that this is probably my favorite place in the world.
06:09You know, it's just one of those things where you can't imagine what it's like to have friends like this.
06:19Highly intelligent animals, elephants form deep family bonds and live in tight family groups called a herd.
06:27Charlie is part of the Monterey Zoo herd.
06:30Well, I mean, I actually do feel like one of them.
06:34So as soon as they get to me, they do what they need to do.
06:37They say hi, and then I'm just one of them.
06:39And then they start doing whatever else around me.
06:43The thought of them going out to our driveway and us not seeing them again just couldn't happen.
06:50I couldn't imagine it.
06:52Elephants are often seen as placid, gentle animals.
06:55But there's no doubt they can pose a very serious threat.
07:00Charlie's elephants are hand-picked in a measure that helps ensure the safety of his team.
07:06We never brought anything here that we thought was going to be a threat to our staff.
07:11We do have one, this one here, who had hurt several people before she came here.
07:18She didn't kill anybody, but she dumped a few people.
07:20So she took a little more work to be around.
07:23So my staff doesn't go in with her if I'm not here.
07:27She's just a little pushier, a little typical, if you will.
07:32But she's also my smartest.
07:35She's my thinker.
07:39Aha, I saw that.
07:41Now, here's a good example.
07:43These were somebody's pets.
07:47They were getting expensive.
07:49They were getting to be a lot for them to handle.
07:53They didn't really have to get rid of them, but they called and asked one day if we didn't have a better situation for them.
07:59And the only answer I had was, no.
08:02They didn't have to get rid of them.
08:04They didn't really have to get rid of them, but they called and asked one day if we didn't have a better situation for them.
08:10And the only answer I had was, you know, we could put them in with the elephants, and if they got along fine.
08:15If they didn't, we'd have to turn around and bring them right back.
08:19That was, what, 10 years ago?
08:24And there are days we come out here and the elephants are arresting their trunks on them.
08:29Now you're going to hear a lot of noise probably when the boy comes forward.
08:38The mood changes quickly as there is a sudden commotion from the elephants.
09:29The elephants are getting ready to attack.
09:35The elephants are getting ready to attack.
09:54Buffy's back.
09:58Steady, Buffy.
10:01Christy.
10:04Easy, you got it, girl.
10:06Buffy's back.
10:09She's back.
10:12This is Butch, and he's what we call big.
10:25Sorry.
10:27It's all right.
10:31What happened is there was a tractor back there that spooked Butch.
10:36He obviously told the girls, and they ran running over there to help him.
10:44You big dork.
10:46So you see, in a lot of the larger organizations, accrediting organizations, what we're doing right now shouldn't be happening.
10:58But where I come from in the entertainment industry, you're never going to remember knowing elephants from looking at them from a barrier in a zoo like you will today.
11:15You've got to meet them to know them, and you've got to know them to want to help save them.
11:22And so, hey, there's humans back here.
11:28Charlie has worked with exotics for more than 30 years, and the trust these animals have in him is remarkable.
11:35Surely, it must take a special sort of person to be so trusted by a herd of elephants.
11:41I do think you have to have the right personality for it.
11:47But they're smart, so there is somewhat of a science to it.
11:53And if you apply the science, if you learn it and apply it, it works.
11:59We don't handle them the way we used to.
12:02It's evolved like everything else.
12:04It's a far kinder training now than it used to be.
12:08But for the most part, yeah, I'd almost say it's somewhat easier than big cats because they're so smart that it removes a lot of the things you have no control of.
12:22And you can actually apply a little tiny bit of trust.
12:28They're like a horse.
12:29You try to get a horse to step on you or to run you over.
12:33I had a scene once where I had to have a horse charge into me and knock me down.
12:37It took us days to find one that would do it.
12:40They just instinctually have no interest in hurting you.
12:46But on the other hand, they're like children.
12:48You have to be their parent before you can be their friend.
12:51So you have to find that balance where they respect you enough to know that they have to listen and they have to behave.
12:57But there's a reward for it.
12:59And they're smart enough to learn real fast.
13:03It works a lot better that way.
13:05Charlie spent years building up his rapport with his elephants and keeping elephants is a full-time job.
13:11In fact, it's a full-time job for several people.
13:15Well, here's the problem.
13:17We're working with them all day.
13:19They're working.
13:20Their minds are being kept busy 24-7.
13:22We're working with them.
13:23And if you don't, they start pushing you around.
13:29And then it gets out of hand.
13:32Then you lose control.
13:34And that's when they become real dangerous.
13:38Butch says, I just want to help.
13:44Huh.
13:46Huh.
13:47Big dork.
13:50So, again, you can't go to work every day and spend what little time you have left with an elephant.
13:57You have to be doing it full-time.
13:59You have to be doing it professionally for a living to keep them manageable.
14:06But, on the other hand, do we treat them like pets?
14:10We treat everything like pets.
14:12But we do it professionally.
14:14Spending so much time with his elephants, Charlie is completely at ease with them.
14:19But he's always alert to possible dangers.
14:23When they all came running, when they all went running that way towards Butch and Christy was in the middle of it,
14:33I won't lie to you, I had a little concern there.
14:37That's a lot of elephant and very little Christy.
14:40So I headed that way.
14:42But, once again, we've never had a bad day.
14:45We've never had an incident.
14:46They did just what I thought they were going to do.
14:48They ran to Butch because they thought he had a problem.
14:51Charlie's closeness to his elephants is as much about enriching their lives as it is about enriching his.
14:58The best mental stimulation they have is us.
15:01The second best mental stimulation they have is the other animals.
15:05And the third is themselves, the group.
15:09But they have a lot of things to do here.
15:12In the morning, my elephants deliver breakfast to the bed and breakfast.
15:15So they go up and they visit with people.
15:17Their breakfast baskets have bags of fruit that they get to share with the elephants.
15:21So there's the positive.
15:23That's why they walk up there with us and they're happy to do it.
15:28In the afternoon, people get to come and help us give them baths.
15:33And then at night, they go to bed.
15:38They get their treats and they go into their barns and they go to bed.
15:42This elephant is normally so shy, she'd be standing back over there and I don't even try to make her come visit people.
15:49I have no idea what she's doing right now.
15:51She's obviously a camera hog.
15:54Paula!
15:56What's this about?
16:00Paula and Christy came together.
16:02Both came from circus.
16:04Christy back.
16:06Christy back.
16:11And there were some things we've changed.
16:13Like in circuses, they're not allowed to touch things with their tusks.
16:19Whereas in our environment, it was okay.
16:22So it took a while to teach her that this was okay.
16:25We're far more lenient than they needed to be in circus.
16:29So if you will, they get away with a lot more.
16:33But we just cut it off at a certain point so that we keep the control.
16:38And we keep enough respect so it's still a safe activity.
16:44There are more than a hundred exotic animals at Monterey Zoo.
16:48And Charlie claims not to have favorites.
16:51Watching him with his elephants, it becomes very obvious that maybe, just maybe, he does.
16:57Some might say they're the flagship of our zoo.
17:01A lot of elephants, a lot of zoos have elephants.
17:06But I don't know.
17:09Everybody finds their magic in a different animal.
17:12Some people adore elephants.
17:14But some people would get on a plane and travel here for nothing more than those sloths.
17:18It's just wherever you find your magic.
17:36Ethan may only be a child.
17:38But he's about to do something many adults wouldn't ever consider.
17:45He's about to risk his life.
17:47He's about to risk his life.
18:02Ethan is at his grandfather's rural property where cattle would not be out of place.
18:08But these are not your average cattle.
18:11Ethan's grandfather, Dwayne, raises about 40 Watusi cattle on his Utah ranch.
18:18Putting a 10-year-old within reach of an animal of this size and temperament is a risk.
18:23But for Dwayne and Ethan, it is a calculated risk.
18:28Also known as the cattle of kings, an average Watusi weighs around 1,000 pounds.
18:34And their horns are the largest and most dramatic of any breed of cattle.
18:40That's exactly what makes them one of the most dangerous.
18:43Even Dwayne is wary.
18:47I'm going to get a little bit closer, but this cow's getting ready to have a calf.
18:51And I know her.
18:52I get halfway over there, she's going to chase me out.
18:55That cow there will just take her baby and run.
18:57This new baby here, her mother would probably let us go up to her.
19:01But they are threatening because they're showing you.
19:04When they have a baby, you respect that.
19:08You do not play with their babies.
19:10We play with one here because we know this cow.
19:13I mean, she was bottle raised.
19:15These cows here, you know that they're not going to let you play with their baby.
19:20These cattle, through the years, because of a lot of times the predators that are in Africa, the hyenas.
19:29The mothers have become very, very protective.
19:33This little cow behind us, she's showing you.
19:36She does not want you to play with her baby.
19:39And so as protective as the mothers are, the bulls are really docile.
19:44They don't care.
19:45You can take that baby, but with the mama, you're not going to play with it.
19:50So why does Dwayne let his grandson climb into a pen with one of these potentially lethal beasts?
19:57It seems a common theme among owners of dangerous animals.
20:01Familiarity breeds trust.
20:04This little cow's name is Tina.
20:06And she was bottle raised.
20:08That's why she's so gentle.
20:10My grandson Ethan here, he raised her on a bottle.
20:13This is his cow.
20:14And she just had a little baby calf just three days ago.
20:18Do you want to catch the calf, Ethan?
20:21Now you can see the little horns.
20:23They're already starting right here.
20:29You can see some real good growth on them as a year old.
20:33They'll be a year old.
20:35They should be out, you know, anywhere from eight to ten inches long and have a face on them.
20:41Probably like that.
20:43The breed does well in the Utah climate.
20:45And it is prized for its good looks, its robust and drought-hardy nature.
20:50And for those massive horns.
20:53We started raising these in 1982.
20:55We've learned a lot about the Watusi.
20:58And, you know, actually, a few years ago, we sent semen back to South Africa.
21:06Where these animals originally come from.
21:08To get new bloodlines into a herd over there.
21:12We've understood that in Africa, thereafter, you know, it's a thing of economics.
21:19Great big horns, great big long horns is harder for the animal to travel, to feed.
21:28And so in Africa, they're breeding the horns smaller.
21:31Yet in America, because we have an abundance of feed, we want our horns bigger.
21:41And Dwayne certainly succeeded in breeding cattle with bigger horns.
21:45The world's largest, in fact.
21:47Dwayne's bull, Woody, is the largest of the three.
21:52Woody's left horn far outsized its right-hand counterpart.
21:56Growing to a massive circumference of 40 and a half inches.
22:00Although it didn't cause him any pain.
22:02It weighed so much that Woody would often rest it on the ground.
22:09Woody's left horn is the largest horn in the Guinness Book of Records.
22:13And it's the largest horn in the world.
22:15It weighed so much that Woody would often rest it on the ground.
22:21Dwayne has also managed his herd to maintain the breed's distinctive markings.
22:27If you'll notice the markings on this cow, she'll have the...
22:36She'll have the straight red over the back and the white down the sides.
22:41This guy will steal.
22:43There are pictures of Watusi cattle on Egyptian walls.
22:48They date back 7,000 years.
22:50And they have this same design on them.
22:53And you won't find any other cattle that's got this design on them.
22:59Unless they've got some Watusi bloodlines in them.
23:02In Africa, you'll see a lot of the dark red colors.
23:06In the tribes, the kings, they liked the white Watusi.
23:14And a white Watusi is very valuable to them.
23:18Their herds were seen as a status symbol.
23:21And played a significant role in tribal life.
23:24In Africa, the more Watusis you own, it's kind of one of those things.
23:28I have more than you.
23:30Or I have a whole bunch of Watusis.
23:32It's kind of like money in the bank in Africa.
23:36The size of the horns are intimidating.
23:46I think in Africa, if a hyena come up or a lion came to a Watusi cow,
23:53they're going to look at that.
23:55They're going to look at their defense first.
23:57And I'm sure, depending on what would happen over there,
24:03but through the years, the Watusis have developed
24:06that real protective instinct to their young.
24:10The Watusi's giant horns also help to keep it cool.
24:14Hundreds of tiny blood vessels cover the horns close to the surface,
24:18allowing heat to escape the body.
24:23Where these cows originate from, they take the heat very well.
24:28And in the summertime, they'll slick right off.
24:31And they've got kind of an oily skin to them,
24:34which, again, through the years, they've developed kind of a natural pesticide.
24:40You can actually rub them and brush them and smell the oil on your hands.
24:45They are a hardy cattle.
24:48In the wintertime here, because we have so much cold,
24:51we make sure that they have all the feed they want to eat,
24:54and we provide shelter for them.
24:56They don't have a lot of hair on their ears,
24:59and they don't have a lot of long hair like a normal cattle would.
25:03But you put fat on them, put some meat on them, and they do better.
25:11The majority of incidents involving cattle occur on ranches
25:15and other sites where people are working with livestock.
25:18Hundreds of people are injured and 22 killed each year in the U.S. alone.
25:24Knowing the risks of accidents and that the cows can be easily provoked
25:28DeWayne is always mindful of the danger.
25:32There is an element of danger.
25:34It's the same as any other animal.
25:36You take a beef cow, they're going to protect their baby.
25:39Some of them are not going to be as aggressive as others.
25:44The same as a dog that just had brand new puppies.
25:47Some of them are going to let you play with them puppies, and some of them are not.
25:50Again, maybe the breed of a puppy or the breed of a different cattle
25:55is going to determine how protective they're going to be with their babies.
25:59The Watusis, normally you've got to remember that they're protective.
26:05You notice how long the horns are and how big they are,
26:10and yet you'll notice these cows don't use them like a spear.
26:16I've seen so many little, tiny, sharp horns do so much damage to people,
26:22and yet these bigger horns like this, they'll actually,
26:25when they want another cow out of the road or if they want you out of the road,
26:29they'll swing it and use it more like a bat.
26:35While Ethan has never been hurt by his cows,
26:38DeWayne himself has learned some important lessons the hard way.
26:43I had my knee replaced, and I got too close to a brand new baby,
26:50and the mother beat me to the fence, and she hit me,
26:55and all she did was she just hit me and turned around and went back to her baby.
27:01And that's when I learned I can't move that fast, stay away.
27:09Like any large creature, no matter how familiar you are with the animal,
27:13its unpredictability is an ever-present danger.
27:17The thing you always want to remember is know your animals.
27:21They're having babies, and they're protective.
27:28We have a couple of new babies over here.
27:31The one, the mother took it and left.
27:34The other one is a new mother, and she's kind of,
27:37she doesn't really mind if you're around her baby,
27:40but again, you have to know the animals.
27:43It's obvious DeWayne takes great pride in his unusual herd,
27:48and he treats his Watusi with just the amount of respect horns like theirs deserve.
27:53One thing to remember, if I run, you run.
27:56Yes.
27:57Please run slower than I do.
28:06It may come as a surprise to some that the hills on the edge of the Cleveland National Forest,
28:12just outside of Alpine, California, are home to lions, tigers, and bears.
28:19Bobbie Brink is the founder of Lions, Tigers, and Bears,
28:23a no-kill, no-breed, no-sell exotic animal sanctuary.
28:28The white tiger cub is one of their recent rescues.
28:35Well, I thought I was going to be in the hospitality business.
28:38That's what I went to school for.
28:40It's funny, God sends you a different direction when you think you know what you're doing.
28:45Bobbie began working with exotic animals in 1992
28:49when she took a job with a breeder and exhibitor.
28:53She quickly realized that it was not the dream job she had expected.
28:58I met a guy with bears, and he taught me how to take care of bears,
29:02and then he would disappear all the time, and if I wouldn't go feed the bears,
29:05they wouldn't have food or water, and he'd be gone like weeks at a time.
29:09So I followed him one day.
29:11I followed him up from south Texas to the Texas-Arkansas border,
29:16and what he was doing is he would set up a ring, and they were wrestling bears,
29:20so you could pay $1,000 for the man to wrestle the bears,
29:24and then all the other men would bet who was going to win.
29:27I guess who was going to win, the bear or the man.
29:29And I just started seeing more and more and more,
29:33because it's just amazing some of the places we go
29:36and the way people treat animals, and they'll have no fur from urine,
29:42and they're laying in their own urine, and they're drinking their own urine,
29:46and they don't see anything wrong.
29:48They don't see that they're doing anything wrong.
29:51That amazes me.
29:54Lions, Tigers, and Bears was founded in 2002
29:57when Bobbie rescued two endangered Bengal tigers.
30:01Only Bobbie's direct intervention and negotiation with the owner saved them.
30:12They were backyard pets. They were housed in a 6x12, no shade, no shelter.
30:17You and I couldn't live like that for five or six years,
30:20and the guy was threatening to shoot the animals
30:23if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife didn't leave him alone,
30:27because he considered them his property,
30:29and they worked it out, and he decided that we could take the tigers,
30:32and U.S. Fish and Wildlife gave us 30 days,
30:35and that's when we built that first small enclosure,
30:38because we only had 30 days to get the permits, cross the state lines,
30:41build something to house the tigers, and get them here, and that was the start.
30:45We like to say here they go from rags to riches,
30:48because the animals we take here are usually the ones that nobody else will take.
30:53There's no place for them to go, because we work all over the country.
30:56With the first responders, I've probably moved 400 animals,
31:00all lions, tigers, bears, cougars, in the last five years
31:03to different sanctuaries across the country.
31:06So we work with a lot of sanctuaries, we work with a lot of first responders,
31:10a lot of state authorities, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Fish and Game,
31:13even private owners, and we don't judge.
31:16If you have got an animal, and you're in over your head,
31:19and you're ready to find that animal home,
31:22and 90% of the time that's what we see happens with private ownership.
31:28Seeing tigers for sale in a Walmart parking lot and at cattle auctions,
31:33and seeing big cat cubs used for photo opportunities,
31:37Bobbi knew she was on the right path.
31:40I went to one place on the East Coast, me and my friend,
31:44and the one photo facility had 22 cubs.
31:49So you know they can only use them until they're so big,
31:52and then they've got to replace those cubs with more cubs.
31:56So where do all the babies go?
31:59I believe some of them go to canned hunts,
32:01which is a small area for people to shoot for a trophy,
32:04or they go as backyard pets, they're disposed of.
32:08Some of them are probably just killed and buried.
32:11There's no federal tracking of these animals.
32:13The lucky ones get to come to a legitimate sanctuary,
32:16where they're not going to be bred,
32:18and at least get their dignity back and live out their life.
32:22The majority of animals Bobbi now takes care of
32:25have been rescued from private owners and even from other sanctuaries.
32:29An appointment with a vet is one of their first experiences at their new home.
32:35Most of the animals that we go in and get,
32:37they've never had any medical care, no dental.
32:40Like the two leopards we have right now in the quarantine,
32:43we've spent six months in medical.
32:45And then the female couldn't put any weight on her front feet
32:49because she had been declawed all the way around
32:51so they could use her for the photo ops.
32:53And so she was literally trying to walk on her back feet.
32:56So when we went in to do the surgery on her feet,
32:58we ended up finding a lump on her abdomen,
33:01and it ended up being a mass on her uterus.
33:04And so it just seems like one thing after another medically for her.
33:08And we're still trying to get her up here with the other cats,
33:11and she's been here a year.
33:15And that looks like it's cleared up.
33:16So that's usually the best sign.
33:17The white tiger cub also had severe health problems when first rescued.
33:22And after weeks in quarantine,
33:23her final vet check before going to a new enclosure is a great game.
33:28Her lesions are coming back.
33:31We can do another fungal culture with that little DTM stuff.
33:35Have you seen it? It's like a special offer.
33:38Bobby's 93-acre sanctuary is now home to a variety of rescued animals.
33:43And for many of them,
33:44the sanctuary was the first time they'd ever seen the sky or felt sunshine.
33:50This is the first time the white tiger cub has ever been on grass.
33:54But rescuing exotic animals is dangerous work.
33:57Honestly, I think the first few weeks when I worked around these animals,
34:02I didn't think they would ever respond.
34:07But rescuing exotic animals is dangerous work.
34:19Honestly, I think the first few weeks when I worked around these animals, I didn't think
34:24they were as dangerous as they are.
34:33I think the fear comes in after you experience, you know, a few things.
34:39And I think for myself, the danger is when we go into dangerous places and get animals
34:43out.
34:44Because a lot of times the cages are so dangerous, we can't dart because if they jump, they'll
34:49go through the cage.
34:51Or people have them housed in their dining room or their garage or their basement.
34:55They never really think about getting the animal out.
34:57There's no way to get a transfer cage down the basement stairs or in their little gates.
35:02Our cages don't fit through.
35:03You know, those are the more dangerous circumstances for my staff.
35:09Rather than send her staff into dangerous situations, Bobbi often puts herself in the
35:14line of fire.
35:16And when I first started working with the animals, I worked free contact inside the
35:20cage.
35:21I just chose not to get anybody hurt.
35:24And a lot of times when you're rescuing animals, we don't even know, you know, these animals
35:28passed, how they were raised.
35:31It's just better safe than sorry.
35:34Because the way we've set up everything here is pretty safe.
35:36They work in twos.
35:38They'll shift the animal, which means they'll put it in an empty cage, and then the second
35:42person goes back and checks all the locks, checks that it's empty, and then they'll go
35:47in and clean.
35:48And then the same thing, when they go to put them back in the cage, they'll check the locks
35:53and then put it back, and then the second person will go back and check the lock.
35:57That doesn't mean that human error can't happen, because if something happens, it would be
36:01human error.
36:03Somebody will make a mistake.
36:04That's why your buddy's so important, because that person has to have your back.
36:13These animals could kill you in a second.
36:16In a second.
36:19Boom!
36:25For Bobby, the benefits far outweigh the risk.
36:28Sometimes, an animal's rehabilitation requires a lot of patience.
36:33You know, like we had one bear we brought from Ohio, and he was fine as long as you
36:37kept him locked up.
36:38Like, when we brought him in the trailer, all the way across the country, we'd open
36:42the door and feed him, and he was fine, clean him out, no problems.
36:46And then when we brought him here, we always put an animal in the quarantine and do all
36:49their medical.
36:50He was fine.
36:51But when we put him out in the habitat and opened the door to let him out, he was scared
36:54to death.
36:55And he'd just run back and forth in pace.
36:57So we would just open the door for 15 minutes, and the next day for an hour, and then a couple
37:02weeks later for half a day, until the door was just left open.
37:06And then finally, he would touch the dirt, because he'd never touched dirt before.
37:11And then finally, he would go out, in and out, make sure his little safety place was
37:14still there.
37:15And that was the whole habitat.
37:17Bobby's priority is always the welfare of the animal.
37:20But how is her sanctuary any different to a zoo?
37:24I think one of the biggest questions we get here is, why don't you give the animals to
37:28the zoo?
37:30And I think we do something totally different than a zoo, or two totally different organizations.
37:35But a lot of people don't realize these animals originated as surplus animals from the zoos,
37:40from the breeding programs.
37:41And that's how they got out into the private sector.
37:44Bobby has strong views on the breeding and keeping of captive animals.
37:49Views that have been established through many years of experience and first-hand knowledge.
37:55There's approximately 220 AZA zoos in our country.
38:00And that's who holds the SSP plan, the Species Survival Plan, in our country.
38:04So supposedly, this is the legitimate breeding that's going on in our country.
38:09You know, that's 220 zoos breeding.
38:12It's a lot.
38:13And you know, these are not animals that can go back in the wild.
38:16So there's really not much conservation value.
38:19The breeding is for the animals to stay in captivity.
38:23You can't put a lion or a tiger or a bear back out.
38:25They're going to walk right up to you for food.
38:28And I don't think a lot of people realize that these animals are not being put back
38:32out in the wild.
38:33There is no proven plan to put them back that's working.
38:38And a lot of them, they don't know how to be a tiger.
38:40I've brought bears in here that are scared to death of space.
38:44You know, it took us six months to get the white tiger to walk out in the open space
38:48because she had never been out of a 10x10, and she was used for nothing other than breeding.
38:55So when she came here, and there's the green grass and the pool, and she was afraid of
38:59the waterfall.
39:00So it's just a lot of TLC, a lot of time, and you know, now she'll use the whole habitat.
39:05But it took a long time.
39:07You know, one of the most important things we can give our animals is dirt.
39:11You know, it's like the difference of standing on a tile floor all day versus standing on
39:15carpet all day.
39:17There's a huge difference.
39:18And it makes a huge difference in arthritis and how their joints feel, and especially
39:22when it's cold.
39:25Seeing distressed and mistreated animals takes an emotional toll.
39:29And Bobbi also struggles with the idea that even the sanctuary she offers isn't ideal.
39:36It's just a glamorized prison.
39:37That's what it is.
39:39You and I wouldn't want to live in there.
39:41I mean, it's beautiful.
39:42But you wouldn't want to stay in there for life.
39:46You know, when I first started working around the animals, I really didn't see anything
39:50wrong with the way they were housed and, you know, people having them as pets.
39:56And I think it just grows on you.
39:58Like myself, I've been, you know, working around these animals almost every single day
40:01since 1990.
40:03It's really obvious they don't belong in a cage.
40:06So part of Bobbi's goal is to ensure that the animals live as closely as possible to
40:11how they would in the wild.
40:14They don't make good pets.
40:16I think it's selfish.
40:17You know, and that's one thing that I've questioned myself about, you know, am I being selfish
40:23by, you know, wanting to have the animals?
40:26And I had to, like, get in check and make sure that there's a reason for every animal
40:30to be here.
40:31You know, just like the little bobcat that we took in Diego, if he could have went back
40:35out in the wild, that would have been the best thing for him.
40:38But unfortunately, he can't go back out in the wild.
40:40So he needs a place to live out his life.
40:45Rescued grizzly bear Albert suffered from malnutrition that caused permanent neurological
40:50problems.
40:52And not all of the rescues turned out well.
41:00They've destroyed part of his life.
41:03You know, the MRI shows he has no pain, but he still has to really think and rock back
41:08and forth to get up.
41:10And then he has to really think, you know, his brain has to think where he's putting
41:13his paws to walk.
41:19Of all the animals I have moved, I had to euthanize one lion.
41:24And that was very heartbreaking because it was just a big, beautiful lion.
41:29And he was literally dragging his back legs, you know, to the point where he was open wounds,
41:36you know, from drag.
41:37He could not move his back legs at all.
41:39That was hard.
41:40And it was really hard because he was in with two females.
41:43So not only did we have to euthanize him, but then we had to move the females out of
41:47their home.
41:48And that was hard.
41:51Bobby will continue to provide safe and enriching environments for abused and neglected animals
41:57already in captivity, leaving future generations to continue to ponder the question of finding
42:02a better solution.
42:06I always tell my students and my interns, they're the ones, the younger generation,
42:10they're going to make the decision.
42:11Do we work on saving the wild tigers in the wild because we only have about 3,000 tigers
42:17left in the wild?
42:18And it would be really nice to keep the ones that we have in the wild protected.
42:22Or do we continue to breed these animals for nothing more than to live in a cage?
42:28It will go to that generation, and again, they'll make that decision, but these animals,
42:34they live 20 years.
42:35So, you know, I figure I can do this a good 20, 30 more years, and, you know, hopefully
42:41there'll be some more laws in place to protect the animals, and there won't be as many animals
42:46in need of sanctuary.
42:48I mean, that would be ideal.