KENDALL COUNTY, Texas -- Wild and exotic animals at an area animal sanctuary that have been rescued from trafficking and inhumane treatments are getting some much needed help from television legend Bob Barker.
A woman running the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation facility reached out to Barker for help and what came after that may surprise you.
The animal sanctuary has been saving thousands of mammals, birds and reptiles since 1977. It's a 187 acre facility located near Kendalia in Kendall County. Because the sanctuary commits to taking care of the animals for life, their founder Lynn Cuny said they have a lot of expenses.
That’s why Lynn decided to reach out to well known animal lover Bob Barker for help.
She said, “This sanctuary here is very unique in that these animals have, like these monkeys and these lemurs have space in which to live that is very natural”.
Lynn has rescued many exotic creatures from the underground pet trade world.
“We also rescue them from road side zoos”.
Many times these types of animals are victimized when taken out of their natural habitat and sold as pets. But Lynn says they are not pets. They’re wild animals that require special care which can be costly.
“Like every non-profit organization there's always times when you, when things are tight financially tight and we're not immune to that either,” said Lynn.
That’s why she reached out to Bob Barker's foundation known for donating to such causes.
Initially she asked for $5,000 to buy an avian ventilator. Then she was surprised to get a call from Barker himself.
“He said that we probably could use a little bit extra money. And I said always, so he said I’m going to give you $250,000”.
The Wildlife Rescue facility operates on a $2 million budget a year so this will be a big step for next year to feed and care for the animals.
If you'd like to donate or simply find out more information about Kendall County-based Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, visit their website
here.
