In Mexico’s cartel-ravaged Sinaloa state, over 700 exotic animals—including lions, tigers, and elephants—have been secretly evacuated from a sanctuary once home to the pets of drug lords, as escalating violence makes care impossible and government protection nonexistent.
At a Glance
- Over 700 animals were evacuated from Ostok Sanctuary in Culiacán amid Sinaloa Cartel violence
- Many of the animals were former pets of drug lords, abandoned as trophies of fallen regimes
- Staff received death threats and demands for extortion payments from cartel operatives
- Two big cats died from stress and starvation as violence blocked access to food and care
- Authorities refused to intervene; animals were relocated to Mazatlán under cover of night
Sanctuary Under Siege by Narco Violence
Culiacán’s Ostok Sanctuary was once a symbol of redemption for animals rescued from the shadows of cartel opulence. But by May 2025, it had become a warzone. Daily gunfire, kidnappings, and turf battles between rival Sinaloa Cartel factions made basic care impossible. The sanctuary sits near a territory controlled by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, whose capture sparked a violent power vacuum.
Many of the sanctuary’s animals had been confiscated from cartel figures who kept them as symbols of wealth and brutality. Some were reportedly used for acts of sadistic intimidation, including feeding victims to big cats.
Watch a report: Cartel Chaos: 700 Animals Rescued from Violence in Mexico.
Death Threats and a Midnight Evacuation
Sanctuary staff began receiving threats to burn the facility and kill the animals if protection money wasn’t paid. When an elephant named Bireki injured her foot, no veterinarian would risk entering the conflict zone. At least two big cats died from stress and starvation as roadblocks prevented deliveries of food.
With no aid from the federal government, staff undertook a covert night evacuation to Mazatlán. Animals were sedated and trucked out under strict secrecy, fearing reprisals not just from gangs—but also from corrupt officials who might tip them off. “There’s no safe place left in this city these days,” said Diego García, a regional sanctuary manager, as reported in Yahoo News.
Drug War Economics Driving Crisis
This violence isn’t random—it’s economics. As security analyst David Saucedo explained, “With the escalating war between the two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, they have begun to extort, kidnap and rob cars because they need funds to finance their war,” a fact reported by The Guardian.
These same factions rake in billions from trafficking fentanyl and people across the U.S. border. In effect, every overdose and migrant smuggling incident helps fund the bullets, kidnappings, and death threats plaguing Culiacán—and endangering both humans and animals.
A State Abandoned—and Exporting Chaos
Mazatlán offers no real safety. It’s a tourist town—but like most of Mexico, it’s not immune to cartel control. The animals may have escaped for now, but the staff who risked their lives know this was a temporary reprieve.
This was no natural disaster. It was a state failure. When even the pet tigers of dead drug lords must flee for their lives, it’s time for the U.S. to stop pretending Mexico’s cartel crisis is a distant problem. It is here, now, and growing. Until Washington secures the border and demands real enforcement from Mexico, both people and wildlife will remain hostages to narco violence.
