At PPI we receive regular emails and phone calls from the general public who are curious about various aspects of our sanctuary operations. The inquiries have common themes so we thought it would be helpful to post our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions in a new “Did You Know” blog. We’ll start with these:  Did you know that the majority of our animals at the sanctuary are not “tame.” Many people contact us asking if they can visit the sanctuary and play, or ‘interact’ with our animals, perhaps thinking that because they are at a sanctuary (and maybe some of them were former pets), they most likely will be friendly and tame. In reality they are asking two questions: 1.) Are you open to the public to come in and walk around to view the animals; and 2.) Can we touch them/interact with them? Unfortunately, we are not open to the public, and with our specific animals, we could never allow “petting.” A majority of our animals arrive at our sanctuary having suffered prior abuse, neglect, and exploitation. They are brought here specifically to recover from their traumatic past. We try to make their lives as comfortable as possible. In addition, we make every effort to provide an environment where the animals are allowed and encouraged to retain their natural behaviors; even their care staff do not go directly into habitats with the animals (with the exception of avian centers). We have a hands-off approach in providing proper care. So how do we care for them? Check back next week for a behind the scenes look! And sign up for our bimonthly newsletter here so you can keep up with the animals.