Keenesburg Wildlife Sanctuary Purchases Land In southeast Colorado

<p>MIchael Sakas/CPR News</p>
<p>A male jaguar watches from an enclosure bridge. He and a female jaguar are waiting to be released into a 15-acre habitat at the Wild Animal Sanctuary.</p>
Photo: Keenesburg Sanctuary 3 | TJaguar - MSakas
A male jaguar watches from an enclosure bridge. He and a female jaguar are waiting to be released into a 15-acre habitat at the Wild Animal Sanctuary.

A nonprofit wildlife sanctuary nearly at full capacity has purchased 14 square miles of land in southeastern Colorado.

KUSA-TV reports the Wild Animal Sanctuary in the town of Keenesburg located northeast of Denver is nearly full. It houses over 460 animals including lions, tigers, bears, wolves, jaguars, mountain lions, leopards, bobcats, lynx, coyotes, fox, porcupines, raccoons, ostriches, emus, alpacas, horses and a camel, rescued from illegal or abusive situations.

Sanctuary officials say the new property features dense forests, rock outcroppings and canyon spaces.

They say it will provide animals with more space to live on along with more natural and stimulating environments.

The new facility will not be open to the public for the foreseeable future.
The sanctuary says the Keenesburg location will stay open.