Montana Large Animal Sanctuary & Rescue

NIARADA — The Montana Large Animal Sanctuary added some new residents to its rolls two weeks ago.

Not only is Muhane (pronounced Moo-haw-nee) and the seven other former residents of a New England wildlife park new to the sanctuary, but they are also the first of their breed to live at the Niarada ranch.

Muhane is a five-year-old Bactrian camel, a charmingly peaceful creature with the archetypal two humps that even small children recognize.

“Isn’t he wonderful?” MLA co-founding director Kathryn Warrington asked with a broad smile as she introduced the camel.

Muhane, chewing cud with distinct squeaks from his grinding teeth, watched Warrington intently. He has been kept in an isolation pen for several weeks while he grows accustomed to the area, but his arrival was noticed by all the rest of the animals at the sanctuaries. Groups of curious llamas, members of the 700-plus herd at the ranch, gathered at the closest fences to take a look at the new arrival.

The bactrian camel lives primarily in Central Asian deserts north of the Himalayas, so Muhane should adapt to Montana’s weather without any problems, according to Warrington.

The other seven guests, small Patagonian cavies, were being kept in an isolated indoor pen in a nearby barn. The Patagonian cavy is very much like a large hare, weighing from 20 to 30 pounds as an adult.

The cavies seemed to be settling in nicely, despite the long cross-country trip. Even with their built-in nervousness, they took to their spacious, warm home immediately.

Two drivers shared driving duties over the 39-hour, 2,600-mile trip from New Hampshire, pulling the 15-foot trailer. Since Muhane is eight feet tall and nine feet long, it wasn’t an ordinary trailer, but gave the camel plenty of room to relax during the trip.

The cavies were transported in carriers as pairs and were obviously excited to be back together again. But Muhane was a bit more hesitant after arriving at the MLAS ranch. It took him the better part of an hour to decide to step out of the trailer and onto the ground. But he quickly explored the spacious pen and shed, particularly enjoying its salt block.

The Boston-based New England Anti-Vivisection Society, founded in 1895, works to expose and replace animal experiments in laboratories and classrooms with ethically and scientifically responsible modern research methods and to protect human beings who may be subjected to such experiments.

NEAVS advocates for the protection of animals through public outreach efforts and publications, through education programs designed to promote greater compassion and respect for life, and through the support of legislative initiatives and litigation intended for the protection of animals.

The Greenville Wildlife Park, located in the Nashua, N.H. area, is shutting down after its founder died last summer. In August, after months of negotiation, the park’s board agreed to release 24 animals for placement by NEAVS and to spay/neuter many others.

NEAVS placed the animals, including monkeys, tigers, a skunk, African lions, bobcats and prairie dogs, in sanctuaries across the country. Besides Montana, animals were placed in Texas, Illinois, and Boston, Mass. All of the facilities are approved by the Association of Sanctuaries or have a dual accreditation by the American Sanctuary Association.

“NEAVS was prepared to help every single animal at the Park. We offered assistance with placements and a plan to spay and neuter all the animals, thus assuring that they would no longer contribute to the over-population of captive exotics in America,” NEAVS president Dr. Theo Capaldo said. “We are pleased that Kathy Eldridge and the (Park) board accepted a substantial part of our proposal. It has made all the difference in the world to (the animals).”

The Park will officially close its doors to the public on Nov. 1.

But for Muhane and the seven cavies, their long journey has come to a conclusion at their new, spacious home at the end of a long dirt road in Niarada. Muhane will soon have a companion camel to spend his time with, another rescue animal that MLAS is receiving from Washington in the second week of November.

The MLAS, founded in 1996, is a not-for-profit volunteer-based animal welfare organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and continued care of neglected, abuse and need animals. As such, it nurses ill or abused animals back to health, rescues imperiled animals and gives animals the opportunity to live out their lives in dignity, according to Warrington.

The sanctuary, founded by Kathryn Warrington, Brian Warrington and Susan Rawlings, also educates the public to promote higher ideals of humanity towards all animals and one another.

The sanctuary recently expanded operations to two locations — the Black Bear Ranch in Niarada and a second smaller ranch closer to Hot Springs. Construction is underway at the Black Bear Ranch for the sanctuary’s new headquarters.

With operating costs in the neighborhood of $400,000 a year, the sanctuary depends on private donations from a variety of private donors, including direct payroll deductions or silent auction fundraising auctions. Local volunteers also donate their time and services.

The sanctuary’s feed bill alone is $130,000 a year, more than half of which is purchased locally.

“We significantly support the local economy,” Kathryn noted.

With the largest llama herd in North America, Warrington said the sanctuary continues to take in animals that have no place else to go. Most recently, a herd of 60 llamas arrived at the MLASR ranch after a man in the Bozeman area died. He loved his herd of 82 llamas, but his widow could not care for them. MLAS literally came to the rescue.

“People love them ... so the idea that the llamas have a place to be is what means so much to them,” Warrington said.

She said that the sanctuary offers a place for animals to live out their lives with love and peace. People who work at or staff sanctuaries are devoted to that vision.

“We’re committed to the point of being committed,” she laughed.

“Most of the people in the sanctuary business are totally nuts ... in the most exquisite way.”

For more information on the MLAS, visit www.mtanimalsanctuary.com or call (406) 741-3823.