Three Ring Ranch
Exotic Animal Sanctuary
The
mission of the Sanctuary is not to be a petting zoo. In fact, it is not open to the public, but
they will provide small private educational tours. She teaches visitors that animals have their
own unique ways of communicating. She
shows you how we often misinterpret their behaviors because we do not
understand their language. If you are
lucky enough to visit and learn from Ann, you might make friends with an alpaca
by pressing noses, shake hands with a monkey, or be greeted by a 1500 pound
bison licking your hand. No matter what,
it is an experience that you will never forget.
Inspiration found here
This entry strays a bit away from the theme of young
companies. However, it is such an
incredible story that I have to tell you about it.
Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary was started in 1998
by Ann and Norm Goody. Before starting
the sanctuary, Ann was an emergency room nurse and administrator at a home
health agency. Norm was an
anesthesiologist. They met in 1997 while
Ann was working on her doctorate health care administration. That June, the couple married. The next day, Ann was struck by lightning.
Literally.
Recovery wasn’t easy and part of Ann’s temporal lobe was
removed. After relearning to walk and
talk, Ann amazingly returned to work in health care. Always the animal lover, Ann joked that she
would like a zebra to help her recover. In
1998, the Moloka‘i Ranch Safari Park closed its doors. Norm contacted the
Safari Park and since the couple was licensed to care for wild animals, they
were invited to choose among the animals that were about to be abandoned. They found Oreo and Zoe, her new foal. Zoe is
a brilliant blonde zebra, one of two known
to exist in captivity in the world. With
Zoe, Oreo, and a few other rescuees, Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary
was born. The Goody’s turned their
5-acre lot on the Big Island into what is today Hawai‘i’s sole federally
accredited nonprofit exotic animal sanctuary, one of only thirty-three in the
country.
Ann and Norm continued to work their health care for several
years to support themselves and the Sanctuary.
Ann decided to focus on the Sanctuary full time after another health
scare prompted her to change her life. Norm
followed a few years later. Now they run
the Sanctuary full time and support themselves with their savings. And by run, I mean care, feed, and
rehabilitate hundreds of animals. Ann
and Norm (and others) spend years rehabilitating animals. They know the
personal story of each of the residents and are genuinely concerned with their
well-being. And not only do they have the
knowledge to care for these animals, Ann is especially adept at understanding
animal behavior. Our conversations gave me more insight into animal behavior than
any book I have read or tv show I have watched.
Over the last 15 years, the Goody’s have cared for over 100 types
of animals, with more than 50 types in residence at any one time. Many roads lead animals to the Sanctuary;
often tragic. For example the Sanctuary
has rescued animals from failed zoos and directly from owners who can no longer
care for them. Several abandon or abused
animals and injured wild animals have also been placed there. If at all possible, wild animals are rehabilitated
and returned to their natural habitat.
Otherwise, the Sanctuary provides a life that is similar to their natural
environment. Each is researched
extensively and cared for with acute attention to distress and mental harmony. Animals
are often paired with other seemingly dissimilar animals according to
behavioral needs. For example a North
American bison was recently paired with a feral donkey who became best friends. Turtles and tortoises calm distrusting birds
around the grounds. One of the goals is to
create an environment in which each animal can live closely to how they would
in the wild.
Also impressive are the Sanctuary’s educational endeavors. The facility is a role model for education
and animal care. They work with UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and Oregon State
University providing pre-vet internships to undergraduate university students. So far, each of their interns has been
successfully placed in a competitive veterinary program. Second-year vet students can visit as part of
summer programs. The Sanctuary also
provides an after school mentoring program for younger students in local schools,
focusing on children between 12 and 13.
They offer various classes to students between 8 and 11. Community lectures have been provided as
well. The Sanctuary is a non-profit
organization, supported only by donations.
It is run by volunteers and no salaries are provided for anyone.
