Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation: A Sanctuary for Animals And Their Admirers

Roberta Kirshner has been enjoying a life of caring for animals since she was nine years old, and still can’t wait to wake up each morning to her colorful life at the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation near Butte College.

Welcoming two new fox kits and a wolf

Roberta and her helpers love to share their excitement and purpose with visitors, saying this season is shaping up to be a good one. The sanctuary is looking forward to welcoming two fennec fox kits, as well as a wolf they hope will be a good companion to their resident wolf, Ellie. “Come and visit,” Roberta says. “We know you will have fun and leave here with the sense that every life matters — you matter.”

Exotic animals with special needs are members of the family

That sense that every life matters happens when people understand that the sanctuary’s animals are special. Not only does each have an exotic heritage, most have overcome extraordinary challenges just to continue living. Many of these animals have special needs that would make it impossible to survive on their own. One of these is Amari, a female African Lion (Panthera leo) born in 2012. Because of her partial facial paralysis from a previous ear infection and vitamin deficiency, she is a permanent resident and member of the Kirshner family, sharing her enclosure with her service animal, Axle.
One of the primary missions of the sanctuary is to show that those with special needs have great value, whether animal or human.

Jenna Christophersen, in a previous article for North State Parent, wrote about one of Roberta’s memories of a special visitor, a non-verbal six-year-old who visited the Sanctuary with his parents. A few days later, the family returned because the child had used pictures to ask to visit again. When asked which animal he wanted to see, “The child pointed to the tiger and said, ‘Ti.’” Roberta said, “That was his first word, and he hasn’t stopped talking since.”

Helping children with health hurdles find courage

A person with special needs can be encouraged to see that a special needs animal also has so much to offer the world, even in just the calm and resiliency in their beautiful eyes. Children visit the sanctuary from Shriner’s Hospital, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and other organizations. Sometimes those children are anticipating painful or frightening treatments; and learning how the sanctuary’s animals have overcome their own health hurdles helps the children find the courage to go ahead with those procedures.

Roberta laughs when she remembers her first visit to the area in 1984. Her son, Barry, was attending Chico State and he told her to come up and meet him at The Zoo. This sounded great to Roberta. She had grown up in Southern California next door to a Universal and Columbia Studios’ exotic animal trainer and experienced life with amazing animals at a young age. When Roberta arrived in Chico she asked how to find The Zoo. After many puzzled looks and no menagerie of unique animals, she found someone who told her “The Zoo” was in fact an apartment complex known for its party atmosphere. That comical beginning led to many fun discoveries in the area and Roberta was officially hooked.

A haven for endangered animals

Barry founded the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation as a haven for endangered animals and a place where they can be ambassadors for their species. Barry died in an automobile accident in 1994, just one year after building the sanctuary and Roberta has worked to carry out Barry’s vision, displaying the same resiliency she sees in her animals.

The sanctuary is available for visits, fields trips and volunteers. Anyone over 14 years of age can volunteer and college students can receive up to 15 transferable units for their service. Roberta and her niece, Joan, love to help young people volunteer in an area that would be helpful for their future goals. Other opportunities at the sanctuary include animal sponsorship and donations to provide healthy foods and comfortable living conditions for their 103 critters.

Visit the foundation website for current news about animals at the sanctuary http://www.kirshner.org. Better yet, head over to 4995 Durham-Pentz Rd., Oroville for an in-person visit. (530) 533-1000.