Boulder City Council sold on animals, but not on sanctuary

Jace Radke

Wednesday, April 14, 1999 | 11:26 a.m.

The Boulder City Council and representatives of Keepers of the Wild, a nonprofit organization seeking to build an exotic animal sanctuary, agreed Tuesday night that neglected lions, tigers and wolves need a safe haven.

But the council wasn't so warm and fuzzy about the sanctuary's funding plan.

The council unanimously voted to continue talking with Keepers of the Wild about a possible sanctuary for unwanted exotic animals in Boulder City, but added that the financing for the project needed to be better cleared up.

"The only problem I have is that the project appears to be underfunded, and until we get that resolved there will be a question," Mayor Bob Ferraro said. "If we are to lease several hundred acres to a group we have to assure the citizens that the group can continue to pay for the land, and in this instance for the welfare of the animals."

The proposed sanctuary would be built on a 180-acre parcel of land near the intersection of U.S. 93 and U.S. 95, City Manager John Sullard said. The funding source, according to the Keepers' business plan, is a $2.8 million loan using the proposed property as collateral, Sullard said.

Keeper's founder, Jonathan Kraft, said the sanctuary will actually be built on only about 30 acres and that he is willing to work with city staff to try to alleviate any questions about financing.

"We were always amenable to working with staff and I think we just had a situation where we misread each other," Kraft said. "We already have several corporations pledging to support the project, with materials and construction. The initial building that we'll need will probably only cost $7,000 to $8,000."

Keepers runs a sanctuary at 4800 W. Dewey Drive, which houses more than 100 animals including lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, wolves, bison, birds and reptiles.

The facility is overcrowded and another sanctuary in Boulder City would allow the group to lease land without having to raise substantial capital to buy land.