Animal sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest

of their lives.[1] Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death. In some cases, an establishment may have characteristics of both a sanctuary and a shelter; for instance, some animals may be in residence temporarily until a good home is found and others may be permanent residents. The mission of sanctuaries is generally to be safe havens, where the animals receive the best care that the sanctuaries can provide. Animals are not bought, sold, or traded, nor are they used for animal testing. The resident animals are given the opportunity to behave as naturally as possible in a protective environment.[1] What distinguishes a sanctuary from other institutions is the philosophy that the residents come first. In a sanctuary, every action is scrutinized for any trace of human benefit at the expense of non-human residents. Sanctuaries act on behalf of the animals, and the caregivers work under the notion that all animals in the sanctuary, human and non-human, are of equal importance. A sanctuary is not open to the public in the sense of a zoo; that is, the public is not allowed unescorted access to any part of the facility. A sanctuary tries not to allow any activity that would place the animals in an unduly stressful situation. One of the most important missions of sanctuaries, beyond caring for the animals, is educating the public. The ultimate goal of a sanctuary should be to change the way that humans think of, and treat, non-human animals. There are several national and international organizations that have taken the responsibility of supervising numerous systems of non-profit animal

sanctuaries in order to provide a general system for sanctuaries to follow. Among them, The American Sanctuary Association monitors and aids in various facilities to care for exotic wildlife.[2] Their accredited facilities conform to high standards and rigid application processes to ensure that the animals under their care are enthusiastically cared for and maintained. Needs and Uses of Wildlife Sanctuary There are a number of reasons to establish a wildlife sanctuary. In many cases, a government creates a sanctuary for the purpose of protecting endangered species with a limited territorial range. Since it is not always possible to relocate animals or breed them in captivity, protecting their natural habitat can be very important. Endangered species in wildlife sanctuaries are typically closely monitored, and if their populations grow while under protection, some specimens may be captured for breeding in conservation parks to ensure that the species survives. A wildlife sanctuary may also be established for the purpose of maintaining biodiversity, or preserving a nation's unique natural environment. For example, several rainforest countries have wildlife sanctuaries which are intended to preserve the rainforest as well as the creatures in it; since these conditions could never be replicated somewhere else, it is necessary to preserve them in situ. Many nations also recognize the value of their natural environment and the local wildlife, and as a result they have made the establishment of sanctuaries a priority. Typically, human access to a wildlife sanctuary is restricted. If people are allowed on the site, they must be escorted, to ensure that they do not disturb

the animals or damage the environment. Biologists and other researchers may work at the sanctuary to learn more about the animals that live there, but they also tend to adopt a minimal interference approach, to keep the animals as wild as possible. Some wildlife sanctuaries also offer wildlife rehabilitation. In these instances, the sanctuary agrees to take in injured and abandoned wildlife and nurse it back to health before releasing it into the sanctuary or sending it to another location. Since the goal is often to keep the animals as wild as possible, a number of techniques are used to prevent the animals from becoming familiar with humans, such as using puppets for feeding so that the young animals do not learn to associate humans with food. Wildlife sanctuaries help to preserve and bring back endangered species by giving them a natural environment to live in while they are in no danger of predetors or humans. it also helps to keep some species from becoming endangered. wildlife sanctuaries also educate people about the creatures so that they can maybe help in preserving them

Wildlife Sanctuaries in India India is home to several fabulous wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, which makes this country a nature lovers paradise. The wildlife sanctuaries in India are home to around two thousand different species of birds, 3500 species of mammals, nearly 30000 different kinds of insects and more than 15000 varieties of plants. Travelers from all across the globe come to India to take a look at its rich wildlife and natural vegetation. There are as many as 80 national parks and over 441 wildlife sanctuaries in India, covering nearly 4.5% of the total geographical area of the country. Scattered all across the country, these sanctuaries and parks attracts the tourists with their beautiful landscapes, amazing rock formation and diverse range of flora and fauna. Most of these sanctuaries were originally private hunting grounds of the former Indian aristocratic families. Paying a visit to Indias wildlife sanctuaries is something that one should not rule out when on a holiday to this country. These sanctuaries and forest reserves are home to several endangered species of animals and birds like the Asiatic Elephant, the Royal Bengal tiger, the Snow Leopard and the Siberian Crane. Many of the forest reserves and wildlife sanctuaries of India are famous for some particular specie of animals. For instance, the Kaziranga in Assam is know for the Indian Rhinoceros, while Periyar in Kerala is famous for its elephants. While embarking on a wildlife tour, travelers can pay a visit to the national parks in India. The Jim Corbett National Park, which is located in the Himalayan foothills, is the first of its kind. The Dudhwa National Park is another park made famous by its huge swamp deer population. Tiger reserves are the best places to catch a glimpse of this big cat. The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh is one of the largest tiger reserves of India. The wildlife sanctuaries of India also include the bird sanctuaries, like the one at Bharatpur in Madhya Pradesh. The different species of birds that one can find over here is truly fascinating. Great Indian bustard, Himalayan monal pheasant, lammergiers, choughs, white-bellied sea eagle, white breasted swiftlet, fruit pigeons and griffon vultures are just some of the bird species that you can get to see here.