Even hippos, elephants and monkeys are fleeing bloody gang violence in Mexico’s Sinaloa province

Organized crime and violence in the Mexican state of Sinaloa has forced a local sanctuary to close and transfer at least 700 animals – including elephants, tigers, lions, ostriches, chickens, monkeys, crocodiles, and hippos – to a new location 212 kilometers (approximately 131 miles) away.

The animals were relocated from the Ostok Sanctuary in Culiacan, a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, to Mazatlan, in the southern part of the state, due to ongoing violence, according to sanctuary director Ernesto Zazueta.

In recent months, violence between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel has surged across the state in northwestern Mexico, particularly in Culiacan.

According to Zazueta, this is the largest relocation of wildlife in Mexico ever carried out due to violence.

Zazueta stated that the sanctuary closed due to threats to staff, robberies, and extortion attempts from criminal groups.

Zazueta told CNN that sanctuary staff, along with volunteers and supporting organizations, relocated the animals on Tuesday to a site called “Bioparque El Encanto.”

“Culiacan is the toughest area. We had never had problems in other occasions, but nowadays it became very difficult for us to even reach the sanctuary. They practically chased us out of the place because there were people who wanted to extort us,” Zazueta said.

Zazueta said the sanctuary came to its decision after one of its elephants, named Viki, had a problem with her leg and the staff realized that no veterinarian was willing to make the trip to Culiacan due to safety concerns.

This article by Gabriela Frias and Daniela Patiño was first published by CNN on 22 May 2025. Lead Image: A lion waits to be taken away from the Ostok Sanctuary in Culiacan, Mexico, on May 20. Felix Marquez/AP.

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