About Us:
About Us
The Barry Kirshner Wildlife Sanctuary and Educational Center is a non-profit organization founded in 1994. Located in Butte Valley, just east of Butte College, it is the only organization of its kind in California from the San Francisco Bay area to the Oregon state line. The mission of the Sanctuary is to educate the public about the care and preservation of all wildlife and their habitats, both locally and globally. Part of our mission is to teach responsible ownership of exotic and companion animals and for people to realize that love is not enough. It is our belief that through hands-on experience with the animals of the Sanctuary, and through our educational programs, the public will become more enlightened about the importance of our wildlife and their habitats, and practice responsible ownership of companion animals.
The Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a remarkable variety of non-releasable, endangered and exotic live animals. Each animal is housed in an enclosure that far exceeds State and Federal regulations. To promote awareness of a local scale, the Sanctuary houses a Mountain Lion, 4 Bobcats, a Coyote, a Red Fox, a Great Horned Owl and hawks. Global representatives include a black Leopard, 2 spotted Leopards, 1 Siberian Tiger, 1 Sumatran Tiger, 3 Bengal Tigers, 2 African Lions, 2 Ligers, 1 Serval, 1 Lynx, 2 Caracals, 1 Snow Leopard, 1 Clouded Leopard and 3 Ocelots. The Sanctuary is also home to 2 Coatimundis, 2 Fennec Foxes, 1 Ring-tailed Lemur, 1 Wallaby, 1 Kinkajou, 2 Black Bears, 1 Otter and an assortment of exotic birds and reptiles, including 2 Giant Burmese Pythons, 1 alligator and an assortment of tortoises. A priority of the Sanctuary is to provide these animals with all they need to keep them not only healthy, but content as well. This involves giving them the best quality care, including daily exercise, attention, and the highest quality foods. In return these animals allow the public an awe-inspiring opportunity to witness first-hand their beauty and value as a natural part of the world's ecosystems.
The Barry Kirshner Wildlife Sanctuary provides the community and Northern California with a valuable educational resource about our natural world and its varied inhabitants. Our non-profit organization is dedicated to education and conservation. Because our programs are approved through the university system, students have an opportunity to obtain units towards their degree. To further the mission of the Sanctuary, the organization offers both on-site and outreach educational programs led by one of our trained animal handlers and wildlife experts. Our Sanctuary offers eight levels of education in nine languages, including working with the hearing impaired. We are the first facility to provide this benefit to the community. The staff of the Sanctuary shares our wild animals with classrooms, assemblies, churches, 4-H, scouts, senior citizens, at risk youth, hospitals and special functions. Our animals have the potential to inspire minds and change lives! They are but a few of the natural wonders that we are close to losing forever.
Visit the Barry Kirshner Wildlife Sanctuary, and show your support to the residents of the Sanctuary, and their relatives in the wild!
