To escape the worsening violence caused by local drug cartels, staff at the Ostok Animal Shelter in Mexico are carefully loading a lioness onto a vehicle, preparing to move her to a new sanctuary.
Located in northwestern Mexico, this shelter has been forced to urgently relocate approximately 700 animals—including elephants, crocodiles, lions, and tigers—to a ranch along the Pacific coast due to violent threats from drug trafficking groups. This large-scale "animal migration" highlights the severe security challenges in the region.
According to reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the animals were originally housed near Culiacan, the capital city of Sinaloa state, at the Ostok Animal Shelter. The shelter is home to a diverse range of species, including many rare birds alongside large mammals.
Since September last year, Culiacan has become the epicenter of bloody factional clashes within the Sinaloa drug cartel. Official data reveals that this internal conflict has resulted in over 1,200 deaths and 1,400 disappearances. The United States has designated the Sinaloa cartel as one of six terrorist organizations operating in Mexico.
On the 20th, Ernesto Zazueta, the shelter's director, disclosed that they have been receiving threats for months, with trucks and equipment even stolen. "We are leaving because my team and I fear for our safety", Zazueta said helplessly.
Frequent roadblocks and armed confrontations in the area have also made it difficult to maintain a steady food supply for the captive wildlife, further necessitating the relocation.
An Associated Press (AP) reporter witnessed the relocation operation on the morning of the 20th. Veterinarians and staff carefully hoisted heavy metal cages containing tigers, monkeys, jaguars, elephants, and lions onto a large convoy of trucks. Many of these animals were once exotic pets kept by cartel members or came from circuses.
However, as cartel violence escalates, the shelter faces not only armed attacks and ongoing death threats but also struggles to secure the basic supplies needed to sustain the animals.
Zazueta noted that the animals' final destination is the "Bioparque El Encanto", a wildlife park owned by a local businessman in Mazatlan, a Pacific coastal resort town in Sinaloa.
In the past, large felines and other exotic creatures have often been found on ranches or properties owned by drug traffickers in Mexico, where they were kept as pets. When cartels flee or clash with rival groups, these animals are frequently abandoned.
Since last September, federal authorities have seized at least 14 large felines—some during raids, others found in abandoned houses used for criminal activities.
At the Ostok Animal Shelter, an employee was seen using a hose to provide water to an elephant preparing for the relocation, a poignant reminder of the animals caught in the crossfire of cartel violence.
