Amid escalating violence in Culiacan, Sinaloa, a sanctuary relocated about 700 animals, including elephants and tigers, to escape the dangers posed by drug cartel conflicts. The operation, likened to a 21st-century Noah's Ark, was prompted by threats to sanctuary workers and difficulties in feeding the animals due to roadblocks and armed clashes. The animals were transported to Bioparque El Encanto, where their well-being could be ensured away from the violence that has engulfed their home region.
In total, about 700 animals were moved by road to a ranch on the coast. This caravan of animals is a kind of 21st-century Noah's Ark.
We are leaving because we run the risk of something happening to me and my team, said Ernesto Zazueta, the director of the refuge.
Since September, Culiacan has been the epicenter of a bloody war between factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel that has left more than 1,200 people dead.
Regular roadblocks and armed clashes in the region made it difficult for the sanctuary's workers to keep the captive wildlife fed, another reason to relocate them.
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