Wildlife Refuge Lilac Fire Relief

Wild Wonders, Inc. is a wildlife refuge in North San Diego County. On Thursday morning, 7 December 2017, the Lilac Fire in North San Diego County approached our property, which serves as a home to over 120 animal ambassadors. With the help of our committed volunteers, we were able to get every animal crated and transported to safety within two hours, just as the fires reached the backside of the Wild Wonders property.

(Lilac Fire reaches Wild Wonders - Brina de Laune)

We were fortunate enough to get all of our furry, scaly and feathered family members to safety. Still, the next couple months will be a challenge for our refuge. All the money raised through GoFundMe will be used to help alleviate costs brought about by the challenges of the Lilac Fire:


1) Short-Term Food. Most of our animals' diets consist primarily of fresh fruits, vegetables, specialized feed, and meat, all of which will need to be repurchased during and after the evacuation period. A significant expense immediately and for the foreseeable future.

2) Transportation. Volunteers and employees have taken their own time to transport our animals, driving as far as Central California to get our cheetahs to safety.

3) Supplies. We are working to restock the care items we had to leave behind during the evacuation. This includes everything from temporary enclosures to syringes, bedding to vitamins.

4) Other. Since we are not a zoo, nor are we open to the public, other costs to house, feed, and provide veterinary care for our rescues are offset by running educational youth programs. We have had to cancel many scheduled programs, the kind that enable us to provide for these animals.

(Kenai and Miki reach safety - Zeverly Zone)

(Sabha stretches & plays at safe haven - Zevely Zone)

Already, we are so grateful for the people who have come to our aid. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who made the safe evacuation from Wild Wonders possible. This includes our volunteers for driving into the path of danger to crate and transport the animals to safety; Cat Haven and Orange County Zoo for taking in our cheetahs, servals, and Siberian lynx; good friends for providing a safe haven for our special animals; Jeff Zeverly and his broadcasting team for sharing our story and grabbing nonperishable food from the property; and all of the Firefighters and First Responders for risking their lives to keep us and our neighbors safe.