Help the Biggest Animal Sanctuary of the Caribbean
Who are we?
Started by animal enthusiast Philip Merryweather, Philip's Animal Garden is the Caribbean's Biggest Animal Sanctuary working on a non-profit basis to rescue and rehabilitate exotic animals on the Island of Aruba. Since 2009 Philip's Animal Garden has been working independently without any significant financial aid from local authorities.
From the last 16 years, Philip's Animal Garden has given second chances to hundreds of exotic animals, and it is the only non-profit organization in Aruba working towards animal welfare and its promotion. Philip's Animal Garden is a story of passion-turned-profession, which is slowly transforming into a cause worth fighting for!
Help us catapult this cause to something bigger. Since every voiceless life matters! Every animal deserves to be treasured and cared for. We are an organization trying to minimize animal mistreatment and preserving Aruba's wildlife to give our furry friends a better shot at surviving.
Take a quick video tour of Philip's Animal Garden here:
How it all started?
Our love for animals isn't something anew, as a matter of fact, our concern and care for literally every animal is the driving force behind the success of Philip's Animal Garden. With its headquarters on the Aruba Island in the Caribbean sea, Philip's Animal Garden was started in 2009 by the owner/keeper of the sanctuary, Philip Merryweather.
It all started with "Mischu," a neglected cat found on the roadside until Philip took notice and decided to bring the cat home. After weeks of care and looking after, Mischu beat the odds and became healthy again. With everlasting support from family & friends, Philip's small gesture of kindness became something more significant now, better known as Philip's Animal Garden.
The first-ever exotic animal to be rescued was an Albino Burmese Python from the United States. Snakes & boas have been frowned upon in Aruba. This is due to the stereotype of snakes, being a "danger" to the flora & fauna. But we have re-oriented this stereotype, and now snakes and boas are the most interacted & beloved animals at the sanctuary.
Our Mission
Philip's Animal Garden isn't just a zoo for animal tourism & recreation. But we are a humble effort to promote wildlife preservation and animal welfare. We are trying to create awareness against animal abuse, mistreatment, and cruelty. Thousands of exotic animals either end up being sold illegally for financial gains, or sometimes the poor creatures are not able to adapt to the changes introduced by humans in the natural habitat. No matter what, we try our finest to educate people and make the best possible effort to rescue animals from any kind of adversary.
We are trying to create a healthy and sustainable habitat at Philip's Animal Garden that mimics the natural habitat of specie as precisely as possible. Every animal enclosure is hand-built and carefully crafted to suit not only the animal's survival need but also its well-being.
The original key to maintain a species survival rate is mastering the intricates of breeding and reproduction. Our expert breeders have come up with specialized breeding programs that have helped animals such as rattlesnakes, Aruban Bunnies, Parakeets survive against the most substantial odds.
Besides working on exotic & wild animals, we have the vision to promote the rescue of domestic as well as stray animals in Aruba. More support & resources mean better execution. Your contribution to our simple mission will help us create better enclosures, better breeding programs, superior veterinary care, bring in better equipment, and create a better habitat for the rescued animals.
Our Journey So far
So far, we have forged several strong connections all around the globe to work for the cause. Several internationally recognized NGOs have coordinated with Philip's Animal Garden with awareness programs to protect the rights of animals. Right now, we have a massive collection of animals thriving beautifully at our sanctuary. This collection took a considerable amount of time, effort, funds, and sheer dedication.
Apart from significant NGOs, an American zookeeper named Dominique Ferraro has also aided in our Journey. Through Dominique Philip's Animal Garden was allowed to adopt spitting alpaca, miniature donkeys, horses, zebras, and even the Red Kangaroos. Our efforts have also been noticed and sponsored by the local community via "Philip's Pet Collection" asylum.
Besides pythons and other animals, we have also included ocelots, tigers, bulls, cows, monkeys, and countless birds in our animal collection. Most of these animals we either abandoned, mistreated, or left on their own. But here at Philip's Animal Garden, we take everyone in and make them a part of our thriving family.
We are also looking forward to adopting cleaner and safer ways of energy production. As an alternative source of energy, we are trying to switch to solar power as it is a more sustainable source of energy.
In the recent events of the coronavirus outbreak, our continuous effort is being spent toward isolating and safeguarding animals which are more prone to infection. To prevent this kind of outbreak in Aruba, we take special care of the animals to minimize its risk, especially when it comes to animals. To avoid such a dreadful disease, we are taking measures to safeguard animals and prevent this kind of pandemic in the future.
Join Our Vision
With minimal help & financial aids, we have been able to reach this stage where we are already hundreds of animals. But this isn't enough since thousands of animals are being abused, mistreated, sold for personal gains or even worse not being able to survive.
With your help, we can ramp up our efforts. Your small contributions will help us to care for animals better. So far, we are not being subsidized by any governmental or non-governmental policies. Although we are lucky enough to get the support of our beloved local and global community, join us in our mission to rescue animals and creating a better future towards preserving wildlife for the coming generations.