History
A Sanctuary for Life
Green Animal Ark
Volunteer Activity at Animal Ark
Community Commitment and Education

History
In the Beginning
Animal Ark Wildlife Sanctuary began in 1980 although the idea was conceived two years previously. It started with the acquisition of two gray wolves by Diana and Aaron Hiibel, co-founders of Animal Ark. They quickly learned that wild animals do not make good pets and that there were many misconceptions about wolves in general.

After much research and hands-on experience, a desire to share the knowledge with others soon developed. A slide show on wolves and other wild animals that were housed by the Hiibel’s was developed and offered to the public, along with tours for children to see the animals.

During this time, the first in a long line of requests to house disadvantaged wildlife was made of Diana and Aaron. As more animals were provided permanent care, a desire for relocation into a natural environment with more acreage prompted them to search for property. Thus, with the purchase of 70 acres in Red Rock Estates, just 25 miles northwest of downtown Reno, Animal Ark was born.

Educate Our Children
In spring of 1982, Animal Ark opened its Nature Trail Program. This was the beginning of fulfilling the public education portion of its mission. It was approved by the Washoe County School District as an official field trip and through this special program, thousands of children have learned about nature and the wild animals that live there. At this time, Animal Ark opened only once a year to the general public to allow them to see what their children were learning and to enjoy the animals.

Throughout these early years, Animal Ark continued to accept more disadvantaged wildlife. These animals included bear, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, and kit fox. Some of these animals were being kept illegally as exotic pets while others had suffered permanent injuries precluding their release back to the wild. In April of 1986, Animal Ark received non-profit status 501(c) (3) from the Federal Government.

Open to the Public
Due to numerous visitation requests, Animal Ark applied for and received in February 1994, a permit from the Washoe County Planning Commission to expand the facility and open to the general public on a regular basis. At this time, the Ark was only open Thursday through Sunday. New animal exhibits and public facilities were added or updated and in 1997, Animal Ark opened on a daily basis for the first time. Due to a high elevation (6000 ft.) with more winter snowfall, public admission was limited on a seasonal basis from April 1 to October 31.

A special winter visitation day has always been part of the schedule to allow visitors the opportunity to see the animals in their beautiful winter coats. Currently Animal Ark is open daily except for Mondays, during the open season (April 1 – October 31). With a network of 50 volunteers and few paid staff persons, Animal Ark provides a wild experience to over fifteen thousand visitors and over six thousand school children each year.

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A Sanctuary for Life
From the very beginning, Animal Ark has strived to provide a safe haven for non-releasable wildlife. Exhibits are designed to be comfortable, spacious, and appropriate for each animal that the Ark agrees to take in, and are constructed with the highest quality materials and workmanship possible. While providing comfortable space for the animals, these exhibits are also designed to enhance the visitor’s experience. Since many of Animal Ark’s residents are predators and therefore elusive and shy in nature, this provides a rare opportunity for the public to get very close and be able to observe the animals. Part of Animal Ark’s commitment to our resident wildlife is not just providing food and shelter, but also a stimulating and rich habitat.

Through a special enrichment program, all animals receive stimulating activities and toys to help break up boredom. For example, food is often hidden in the enclosure rather than simply given in a dish. Toys such as plain cardboard boxes and hard plastic balls are periodically provided. Unique scents are sprayed around enclosures and food items such as frozen foods and pumpkins are incorporated into daily care routines.

It is Animal Ark’s philosophy that each animal that is taken in is provided a home for life. It is not Animal Ark’s policy to engage in captive breeding for the purposes of selling or trading of animals. It is our belief that wild animals belong in the wild and for those individuals that are not capable of surviving in the wild on their own, they have the power to represent their wild cousins and educate humanity about the needs and importance of maintaining a healthy environment that includes the full representation of natural predators.

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Green Animal Ark
Animal Ark is committed to using environmentally friendly energy policies wherever possible. The majority of Animal Ark’s energy needs are met by using passive solar panels and wind generation. Water recycling policies are also in place. For full description of the Alternative energy system that Animal Ark uses, click here.

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Volunteer Activity at Animal Ark
Animal Ark embraces community spirit and relies on the local community for support and resources. A strong network of volunteers, doing everything from taking care of resident wildlife, providing interpretive talks and information to the public, and facilitating the endless day-to-day tasks, is the basis for the organization. Without the commitment of these volunteers, Animal Ark would not be able to continue to operate. While not only helping with tasks involving the daily running of the facility, our network of volunteers are in the community actively promoting Animal Ark and educating the public about wild animals and the environment. For more information on volunteering, visit our volunteer page.

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Community Commitment and Education
As a strong organization and member of the community, Animal Ark believes that education is the most essential tool in making positive changes in our environmental policies. We implement this idea by providing interpretive signage throughout the facility, having knowledgeable and well-trained docents available to answer questions, providing educational outreach talks, and maintaining educational materials on our website.

Animal Ark is striving to make ourselves available to educate our community and our visitors and we are constantly creating and implementing new ideas and methods to promote a dynamic and innovative educational program. Our current education program incorporates the Washoe County School Board Science Curriculum and is specifically tailored to each individual grade level, providing a full 6 years of education at the Ark.

In the future, Animal Ark will continue to implement our mission and vision statement. Animal Ark will continue to seek to make our role in the community a strong one and continue to build a strong constituency and support for not only the captive inhabitants of Animal Ark, but for all native wildlife and their habitats. Please read our Strategic Plan for more information.

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