Tigers, Elephants, and Lions Are Now Also Fleeing Cartel Violence in Culiacán

Tigers, lions, elephants, monkeys, and jaguars were recently loaded onto trucks and evacuated from a wildlife sanctuary in Culiacán, Mexico—to escaperising violence caused by a power struggle between factions of the Sinaloa cartel, The Associated Press reported.

For years, the Ostok Sanctuary served as a rare safe haven for exotic animals — many of them abandoned pets or animals rescued from circuses. But recently, the sanctuary became another casualty of the region's escalating conflict. A months-long violent turf war between rival factions of the infamous Sinaloa cartel has plunged the city into chaos, making life unlivable even for animals.

Staff and veterinarians at the sanctuary endured armed threats, roadblocks, and even gunfire as the violence intensified. Food and medicine supplies were cut off. Some animals went days without eating; others began losing fur or died from stress and lack of care. The staff also told the Associated Press that they received anonymous death threats and extortion demands. Diego García, one of the refuge workers, told the outlet he feared for his life after being carjacked at gunpoint during a rescue mission.

The tipping point came in March when Bireki, one of the sanctuary's two elephants, suffered a serious foot injury, and no specialist was willing to travel into the warzone to treat her. That moment led to a desperate decision: evacuate all 700 animals and relocate them to another reserve in Mazatlán, a city also facing security challenges related to cartel activity, but still safer than Culiacán.

On Tuesday morning, a convoy of trucks, flying white peace flags, rolled out of Culiacán with the animals on board. Along the road, armed men in black ski masks watched silently as the caravan passed, per an AP reporter documenting the scene from Culiacán. Inside the trucks, caretakers comforted the frightened animals.

Now, the animals are settling into their new home, and workers are cautiously hopeful. While Mazatlán has seen less violence, cartel activity is spreading across the region. Zazueta, the sanctuary's director, said the situation is a failure of local authorities.