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 Newsletters
G.W. Exotic News
THIRD
ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
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TROOP 168 SPONSORS
SHELTERS
 Boy Scout Troop 168, Baden Powell District, from Oklahoma City has sponsored shelters for all of our tiger cubs at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park. "We are just thrilled that Troop 168 supports us and our mission," said Joe Schreibvogel, G.W. Park Director.
Troop 168 camped at the park in March of this year. It was cold and damp, and a few earned their "polar bear" patches, but all had a good time while visiting the animals. Shortly thereafter, the troop members dedicated themselves to a fundraising effort to help the animals at the park.
In August, Troop 168 presented the G.W. Park with a check for $1,694.79, the result of their fundraising efforts. "We cannot thank them enough," said Schreibvogel. "This goes to show you what a group of determined youngsters can accomplish when they put their heads, and their hearts, together."
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LACARA IMPROVING
We introduced you to Lacara, a baby black leopard, in our last newsletter. We rescued her from Texas, where her previous owner weaned Lacara at 3 weeks, then fed her raw chicken from a grocery store as her primary source of nutrition. She received no supplements. As a result, Lacara has a severe calcium deficiency, a metabolic disorder, and very brittle bones. When we first took her to the veterinarian at Oklahoma State University, Lacara had seven fractures in her limbs, a fractured pelvis and spine.
We have kept Lacara in a small playpen under tight supervision to restrict her movements while we tried to beef up her strength with a special diet. "We actually had trouble keeping her down, because she is such a feisty little girl", explained
Schreibvogel.
 Within 2 weeks, Lacara began trying to stand and then walk. Her first efforts were like watching a bunny hop. "She would take tentative steps with her front paws, and then hop with her hind quarters. Next thing we knew, she was balancing on top of the rim of her playpen, trying to get out," said Shirley Schreibvogel.
Lacara has returned to OSU twice since then, and for good news. Her bones are mending and she is getting stronger every day. She is still very fragile, and has suffered a few setbacks, but we have been able to move her outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, in a very small pen. The next step in her recovery is swim therapy to help build her atrophied muscles and strengthen her immune system. "She faces a very long recovery, but with extended veterinary care and a lot of attention, we think she will make it," added Schreibvogel. Heartfelt thanks are extended to all for helping with Lacara's vet bills!
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A
NOTE FROM OUR PARK DIRECTOR
Our road shows continue to bring us great success, and word is spreading north and south about our facility and our cause. Setting up at OU ballgames has brought us good exposure, and we have met folks from Missouri to Mississippi.
 Road shows are exhausting work, and our day starts as early as 5 am when we begin to load up animals and supplies. Upon arrival, we have to set up our mobile cages and get ready for visitors, all the while catering to the comfort and safety of the animals and the public. When we leave, we have to do it all in reverse. When we get back to the park and unload, we still have to do chores, and feed and care for hundreds of animals. Quite often we are too exhausted to even eat.
Four of us work 24/7, and we haven't taken a vacation in three years. You have placed your trust in us to care for this park, and we all take our responsibilities very seriously. This is the most unselfish crew I have ever seen, and I would like to send them on a mini-vacation. That's why I have placed a "staff vacation" slot on the current needs list in this
newsletter.
A note on our road shows… some folks have expressed dismay at our bringing the animals out for the public to view. Some feel we are exploiting them for profit. Please keep our mission in mind when you think of what we are doing. No, we don't want to see these majestic creatures spend their life in a cage. It's criminal that they are even here in Oklahoma. Our mission is to provide a safe haven for these animals because they DON'T belong in someone's back yard. Unfortunately, that's where the majority of them came from. They have nowhere else to go when folks abandon them, because the pound won't take lions and
tigers.
People are shocked to hear of this. We bring animals out so people can see firsthand what folks have in their backyard in Oklahoma. Yes, there are a lot of folks in this state who have tigers and bears as pets, because it is perfectly legal to do so. When animals grow up and get out of hand, they end up being abused and mistreated, and that is when we step in to offer them a safe place to spend the rest of their days. We have animals that have had their teeth sawed off, their nails ripped out, and animals that have been used for target practice by their ignorant owners. We have seen tigers and bears so emaciated that they could not even walk. WE WANT THE LAWS IN OKLAHOMA CHANGED, so that folks cannot breed and keep and buy and ultimately abuse animals that they have no business owning. THAT'S why we bring our animals out in public, to raise awareness of what's going
on.
My volunteers get furious when visitors ask if they can buy a baby bear or tiger cub. We exist because of this ignorance. Tigers and bears do not belong in your home. If you are unhappy when you see an Indochinese tiger locked up in a cage, DO something about it. Write to your congressman and get the laws in Oklahoma changed!
God Bless,
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SPECIAL THANKS
We would like to recognize those who came to our rescue last month and responded to our "immediate needs" list. Heartfelt thanks go out to Alicia Voltmer, H.L. Bailey, Beverly Kofoed, Betty Wymer, Ethel Simmons, Blake Wolney, Goddard's Concrete Inc., JoLynne Ritter, John Novak, James and Kerry Meisner, Yvette Edmon, Gene, Leanne, Elisa & Sarah Toohey, Gerald, Maria and Tyler Winnard, Max Williams, Dianna Neaves, Patrick Stallings, Sandee, M.W. Shular and Natasha Louvier, James & Dolores Bell, Marjorie Whipple, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dillard, Sue Ann Mouser, Mary Lou Denny, Ken & Barbara Webster, Andi Suzanne Reed, Chanel Gooden, Harold Cunningham, Shirley Hatfield, John & Beverly Rapp, Mert & Angie Woolman, WG & Tammy Remelius, Howard & Terri Hughes, Bonnie J. Mac-Eslin, Judy & Jim Marshall, Jeannie Taylor, Robin Hardcastle-Adams, Grace Living Center, Pat Lester, Phyllis Eary, JL Dugger & James Bingman, and the Boy Scouts of America!
We can't thank you enough for your kind support!
LANDSCAPING
PROJECT
Got any bushes? Bamboo trees? After building new cages in the arena and outlying areas at the park, we would like to spiff up the landscaping to make the animals feel more at home. If you have any extra monkey grass, bushes or even rocks, we would appreciate donations to pretty up the area with a waterfall or two.
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CONAN
AND MAGGIE HERE TO STAY
 When Conan and Maggie arrived in July, their previous owner hoped to reclaim them after moving to another location in Texas, where exotic animals were permitted to reside. "We picked up Conan, Maggie and Kimber because they were scheduled to die that night if they weren't removed immediately," explains Schreibvogel. "The arrangement was that we would hold onto them for 60 days, and if the previous owner could find a site to relocate to, we would return her lions."
The previous owner was not able to relocate, so Conan, Maggie and Kimber are considered "abandoned", and are here to stay. Kimber has been placed in the huge lion's den at the park, where she fit right into our pride forming there. Conan and Maggie, however, need their own compound. "African lions do not do well in small enclosures, and right now, they are cramped into a compound more suited for a lone tiger or mountain lion. They need to be moved, or I expect them to decline quickly. Maggie's ears are already beginning to sag," explains Schreibvogel. We would like to build a compound for them in the arena, near the stage, but we need someone to come forward with a huge heart to sponsor this couple immediately.
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PARK IMPROVEMENTS ALMOST COMPLETE
 Last month we outlined our needs to conform to new USDA demands at the park. You responded in spades and we are so very grateful! The drinking water spigot system is in place, the fence extension around the arena is complete, and we have built most of the 17 brick shelters needed for the animals. The commissary is operational, and the wolves have been relocated and sponsored. In addition, sponsors have come forward for seven mountain lions, Goliath, Mufasa and baby Snow.
We still have work to do, and a number of animals still need sponsors, so please continue to spread the word. We have balances due on the fence extension and the stage, and we still need catch pens for the lion's den. Winter is coming, so we need to finish those brick shelters asap. Keep us in mind, and remember, your donations are tax deductible.
ANIMALS &
PROJECTS STILL IN NEED OF SPONSORS
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Name
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Animal
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Cost
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Tigger
& Sher Khan*
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Tigers
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$1000
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Conan
& Maggie
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Lions
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$1000
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Kimber
(den)
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Lion
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$
300
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Boo*
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Black
Bear
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$1000
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Bob
& Cookie*
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Black
Bears
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$1000
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Grandma
& Leo*
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Lions
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$1000
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Zeus
& Saffire*
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Tigers
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$1000
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Boomer,
Babygirl, Peanut
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Baboons
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$
800
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Little
Bear, Crybaby
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Black
Bears
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$1000
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Oscar
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2
toed sloth
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$
700
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* indicates compound already
built but not sponsored.
Compound sponsors have
permanent signs erected on the compound they choose. All
donations are tax deductible. Compounds may also be designated
as memorials. If
you are interested in donating a compound for any of these animals, please contact us at 405-665-5197.
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THE
LION'S DEN DARE
"Captives for life"
Tuesday and Wednesday, November 12th and 13th at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park
Our own J.D. Ace, Assistant Park Director, will spend 48 hours in the Lion's Den, our compound filled with seven unpredictable, adolescent African lions. He will eat, sleep and live with the lions, risking life and limb to raise funds to feed the animals.
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Folks in this country have no idea how many large cats are living in captivity, kept as pets for our entertainment. Imagine being sentenced to a life of solitude and boredom, living in a cage, totally dependent on your caregiver for food and attention. These animals are being denied the life and freedom they are entitled to because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 The G.W. Exotic Animal Park would like to raise awareness of the plight of these majestic creatures. It is still legal to privately breed and own large cats in the State of Oklahoma. We would like to stop the abuse and change the laws today.
Sponsor J.D. on an hourly basis, with your pledge today!
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NIGHTMARE AT EXIT 64
The
artistic talents of our board member, Tracy Beasley will delight all who visit us
during the Halloween season. |
The best haunted house in the state, at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park, is slated to open October 18th. This will be our third year hosting Halloween festivities, and we expect it to be bigger and better than ever!
The Haunted House will be open after dark Oct 18th, 19th and 20th. From the 25th through the 31st, we will be open from dark until 11 pm for tours and frights galore. On the 25th, we will host a costume dance party for teens from 6 pm to 9 pm, and for adults from 9 pm to midnight. Admission to the dance will be $5 and with a tour through the haunted house, admission will be $8. Don't miss
it!
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RELEASE PROGRAM BEING
CONSIDERED
Although most of the animals that currently reside at the park are not eligible for a release program, there are a few who would fare well in the wild should they be allowed to return to there. We have 18 iguanas ready to be turned loose in south Texas, near the Mexican border. Reptiles easily adapt, and they will be fine in their natural environment. The cost of such a venture would be about $400… the gas to drive them down to an area where they would have little or no human contact and enough resources to survive on their own. If there are any reptile fans out there, these guys have their bags packed and they are ready to go should you decide to sponsor this
trip.
We are presently in the discussion stage, considering the release of two north American mountain lions and one north American black bear that are adequately equipped to survive on their own. "These animals still have all their claws and they are not what I would call friendly captive creatures," said Schreibvogel. A project such as this requires the cooperation of state and local officials, and we are working to that end to see if a release program can be considered. A release program is expensive. Every precaution is taken to minimize human contact for animals slated for release, and there are no federal funds to support such a program now in the U.S. "Our ultimate dream would be a release program for our tigers. That would require international cooperation and corporate funding, but we can dream, can't we?" The beginning for such a program would be 4 acres, set aside for the purpose of getting animals ready for release. If you are interested in funding a project like this, please get in touch with us.
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Above left, Clint poses with J.D. Ace, Asst Park Director, for pictures with visitors at Oklahoma University. Clint wore his OU jersey, in celebration of the Sooner's victory.
Above, right, Martha Baker cuddles Fireball, the tiger cub she has chosen to sponsor at the
G.W. Exotic Animal Park.
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Come visit us at exit 64 off of I-35 in Wynnewood. We are open daily,
year 'round. Your donation to enter the park is tax deductible and funds go directly to support our animals.
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Map and Directions
Park
Home Page
G.W.
Exotic Animals Memorial Park
Route 2, Box 67
Wynnewood, OK 73098
Phone/Fax:
405-665-5197
Joe Schreibvogel
- Park Director |
Come
visit us today!
Park Hours:
7 Days a week, 9 am to 7 pm
Winter
Hours:
Wed - Sun, 10 am to 4 pm |
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