Day: October 1, 2002

Human obituaries

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2002:

 

Chris Byrne, 52, manager of the Fund for Animals’ Black
Beauty Ranch sanctuary since 1990, was killed near dusk on September
2 when his off-road vehicle rolled over on rough terrain while he was
doing his evening check of the animals and fences. Born in
Wimbledon, England, Byrne previously handled animals in Hollywood
films, tended horses for the DuPont family, fought forest fires in
California, started an eco-tourism business on Kawai, Hawaii, and
lived for a time in the Australian Outback. During his tenure,
Black Beauty grew from 600 acres and 400 animals to 1,480 acres and
more than 1,000 animals. “Chris knew and loved every animal at the
ranch,” said Fund president Marian Probst. “He was respected and
admired by the local community, as well as the international animal
protection community, and is very close to irreplaceable.”

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Unusual histories are almost the norm among exotic animal keepers

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2002:

DALLAS–Enthusiasts of exotic and dangerous animals are
almost by definition unusual people–and that poses one of the
perennial complications of the sanctuary dilemma.
Many and perhaps most sanctuarians became involved with
dangerous and exotic animals through breeding, trafficking,
exhibiting, and/or performing with them. They may obtain nonprofit
status, and may actually do a significant amount of animal rescuing
between continuing previous activities under the name of a sanctuary,
yet even then may contribute more to the proliferation of dangerous
and exotic wildlife in private hands than to containing it.

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