San Diego Area Animal Refuge Struggles Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

BONSALL, CA — Getting through the winter season was a challenge for Wild Wonders. Business was slow for the animal refuge and wildlife education organization in northern San Diego County.

This past winter, the Bonsall-based organization only had enough money to get through December, according to Executive Director Jackie Navarro. Wild Wonders started the year behind and had depleted most of its funding by February.

"When you're a small facility like this, you make your money in spring and summer to carry you through the winter," Navarro said. "Winters are very slow."

Then came the coronavirus pandemic and the economic shutdown of California.

In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom placed Californians under a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Nonessential businesses closed across the state. In the San Diego region, the stay-at-home order meant even iconic institutions such as the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park had to close their doors to the public.

The statewide shutdown has hit smaller organizations such as Wild Wonders particularly hard.

"It was like being clubbed over the head," Navarro said. "We're pretty devastated right now."

After the governor issued the stay-at-home order, Wild Wonders lost every booking for the last two weeks of March, along with April and May. Many bookings for June have been canceled as well.

By the first week of April, the organization had already lost more than $44,000.

"That feeds our animals, that pays our staff, that pays our vet bills," Navarro said. "We have nothing. We have zero income."

Wild Wonders has maintained its core seven-member team, including Navarro, which provides essential care for wildlife and maintains vital functions at the 5-acre facility. To avoid cross-contamination, Navarro has split the team into staggered shifts. Hours have also been reduced.

Still, Wild Wonders is struggling to support its staff members, who are essential to take care of the animals.

"I can't let my staff go," Navarro said. "We have a hundred little mouths that are depending on us."

Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

When Navarro founded Wild Wonders in 1991, she had a boa constrictor, a chinchilla, an opossum, a parrot and a tortoise. Since then, the animal refuge and wildlife education organization has grown to more than 100 animals.

Some of the animals had been confiscated by authorities or surrendered by their previous owners, while others are unable to be released back into the wild.

Navarro has worked with wild animals for more than three decades. She has served as a zookeeper, animal educator, behavioral consultant, trainer, presenter and show producer.

After earning a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Navarro's personal safari began in 1989 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, then known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park. She performed in front of thousands in a wildlife show and participated in the park's outreach programs, visiting local schools.

"There was still a big grassroots need for conservation education in Southern California," said Navarro, who has been affiliated with Columbus Zoo, Charles Paddock Zoo and Santa Ana Zoo, in addition to the Safari Park.

That's why Navarro opened Wild Wonders.

Wild Wonders brings educational and outreach programs to the community. The organization has worked with schools and libraries throughout San Diego County and Southern California.

Although the facility is closed to the public, Wild Wonders also offers private tours and small-group animal experiences. Programs include a zookeeper mentoring program, zoo camps for children, family zoo camps, field trips and other special events.

"We do different types of events to raise awareness about these animals' wild cousins, their plight in the wild and what people can do as individuals to be better stewards for the environment," Navarro said.

It costs roughly $20,000 each month to keep Wild Wonders running, Navarro said. That includes food and veterinarian bills for the animals.

"We have to pay our feed suppliers, our veterinarians, our insurance. My staff has to be paid," Navarro said. "All those people have to be paid."

Although Wild Wonders works with libraries in the city of San Diego, the city rejected the organization's small-business loan application.

"We're county, so we don't count, apparently," Navarro said.

Navarro has also applied for federal Paycheck Protection Program and Small Business Administration loans.

"Nothing is moving quick enough," she said. "We have zero coming in right now."

This isn't the first time Wild Wonders has been hit hard financially.

The animal refuge was affected by the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009. The organization was also impacted by the 2017 Lilac Fire that scorched 4,100 acres and threatened the communities of Bonsall, Fallbrook, Oceanside, Vista and Camp Pendleton.

"I know we're resilient," Navarro said.

There are a variety of ways that people can support the organization during the coronavirus pandemic.

Although in-person animal experiences and outreach programs have been canceled, Wild Wonders is offering prerecorded wildlife programs as well as exclusive live video virtual safaris for distance learning. Animal activity kits as well as prerecorded birthday party shows and Zoom birthday party experiences also are available.

"We have tried to think outside the box," she said.

Navarro also encouraged people to consider booking an animal experience for the future or purchasing a gift card to support Wild Wonders.

"We really hope that people will think of us," Navarro said. "Every little bit helps us right now, tremendously."

For more about Wild Wonders, visit wildwonders.org.

Also see:

• California Coronavirus: Latest Updates On Cases, Orders, Closures
• Coronavirus In San Diego County: Latest News
• 7 More Deaths As Coronavirus Cases Surpass 2,000 In San Diego
• Coronavirus Cases Surpass 1,000 Milestone In San Diego County
• Face Coverings Urged As Coronavirus Cases Rise In San Diego
• San Diego Authorities To Crack Down On Stay-At-Home Violators