Martine Colette is the Founder and Director of the Wildlife Waystation, an internationally acclaimed wildlife sanctuary located in Southern California. The efforts of one woman and her allegiance to the rescue, rehabilitation, and relocation of both native and exotic wildlife single-handedly shaped this animal sanctuary.
The Wildlife Waystation’s story began a quarter of a century ago when Martine Colette purchased the Little Tujunga Canyon property near Los Angeles. Nestled in the Angeles National Forest, north of the San Fernando Valley, this 160-acre facility is considered home for the more than 1,100 wild and exotic animals living there. Neglect, injury and abuse draws in nearly 5,000 animals per year and to date, over 75,000 animals have been treated and released or given permanent sanctuary. Aside from lions, tigers and bears, a variety of other wildlife inhabit this safe haven, including a diverse group of wild cat species, primates, wolves, coyotes, a variety of reptiles and birds, deer, foxes, opossum and much more. These strays find their way to the Waystation from animal facility closures, animal protection agencies, concerned citizens, professional animal handlers, government agencies, and biomedical research within the United States and abroad.
This unique sanctuary is the largest licensed facility of its kind in North America, offering expertise in handling large numbers of predators, bears and primates, etc. These services are unrivaled by any other wildlife rescue organization. On-call around the clock, the Waystation provides emergency response service and expert medical care to all animals, at no cost to the public. Rehabilitation and reintroduction of the animals into the wild is preferred, circumstances permitting.
The French-born Colette owes her naturalistic sense to her father, a Belgian diplomat, who often invited his daughter to join him on safaris in the African bush. After years of observing the animals and their mistreatment in hunting and trapping camps, Colette realized that her true calling in life belonged to the wild. As a young woman, she began to acquire exotic pets. “As soon as the village people realized I liked animals, everyone began bringing their offerings to us,” recalls Colette of her days in Africa with her father. Years later, when settled in the United States, family and friends continued to shower Colette with animals. It was when her menagerie exceeded fifty that she made the transition to the Little Tujunga Canyon property. The sanctuary flourishes thanks to the hard work and dedication by Ms. Colette and her staff.
A national non-profit, charitable reserve, all funding for the Waystation comes from contributions, donations, memberships, animal sponsorships, bequests and fundraising events. “The involvement and participation of the public is crucial to the survival of our animals,” says Colette. “With on-site animal sponsorship and membership available, visitors can directly contribute to the care and well-being of our wildlife.”
This year marks a busy period of growth for Ms. Colette and her Wildlife Waystation. A brand new Primate Center has been specially designed to accommodate a total of 75 primates, including orangutans and chimpanzees. Scheduled to be completed this year, it will be a veritable retirement home for these animals, the majority of which are veteran biomedical research participants.
Compelled by their efforts to educate and inform the public of the importance of preserving nature and protecting and preserving our wildlife population, the overall goal of the Waystation is to promote the idea of animal and man co-existing with one another through tours and community programs. The student education programs have been such a success that a brand-new, environmentally friendly education center is also being constructed. This hands-on museum will benefit the more than 30,000 children making annual school field trips.
There are many celebrity supporters of the Wildlife Waystation including Dyan Cannon, Mariette Hartley, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Betty White. Long time supporter, Drew Barrymore makes a conscious effort to donate as much of her time as possible to the Waystation and is an active participant in many of the organizations events and fundraisers. Universal Studios and the Walt Disney Company are just a few of the corporate sponsors lending support to this worthy cause as well.
Top Hollywood movie stars including Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe and Milla Jovovich lent their talents this spring to a fundraising project to aid the Wildlife Waystation. The artists donated their talents as singers and songwriters, however, not as actors. The actors are featured on “Hollywood Goes Wild”, a celebrity benefit album from RPH Productions. The album can be purchased by Waystation visitors, on the Waystation website, and at music retailers nationwide. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the album are being donated to the Waystation to help with operating costs.
Fore more information visit: waystation.org.
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