Wildlife Sanctuary Ethics Evaluator & Due Diligence Checker

Audit any wildlife rescue or sanctuary against 7 objective GFAS animal welfare and anti-exploitation standards.

GFAS-Aligned Due Diligence Tool

Wildlife Sanctuary Ethics Evaluator & Due Diligence Checker

Test any animal facility against 7 structural GFAS standards to verify if it is an ethical sanctuary or a commercial tourist attraction.

Standard 1 · Breeding Policy

Does the facility allow or engage in breeding wild animals in captivity?

Standard 2 · Public Interaction

Can visitors touch, pet, ride, bathe, or hold wild animals (e.g. cub petting, selfie sessions)?

Standard 3 · Acquisitions

Are animals ever bought, sold, leased, or traded with commercial breeders or auctions?

Standard 4 · Outcome

Are animals housed for permanent lifetime care or trained for accredited wild reintroduction?

Standard 5 · Welfare & Behavior

Are animals forced to perform tricks, shows, or circus-style displays for visitor entertainment?

Standard 6 · Governance

Does the facility publish verified annual operating costs and financial transparency reports?

Standard 7 · Accreditation

Is the facility accredited by recognized bodies (such as GFAS, EAZA, or AZA sanctuaries)?

Answer all 7 questions to see the evaluation

Select 'Yes' or 'No' for each question to compute the GFAS ethical score.

Reference: GFAS Standards of Excellence for Wildlife SanctuariesSupport verified ethical wildlife rescue →

The 4 Defining Pillars of an Ethical Wildlife Haven

1. No Captive Breeding:Unless part of an accredited government-supervised reintroduction program, animals should never be bred in captivity. Every bred infant occupies space needed by an injured or confiscated wild animal.
2. Zero Public Contact & No Commercial Shows:Ethical facilities prioritize natural animal behavior. If visitors can touch, bathe, cuddle, or ride animals, or if animals perform tricks, it is a commercial tourist business, not a sanctuary.
3. Provenance and Lawful Confiscation:Animals arrive through lawful seizures from the illegal pet trade, circuses, or wildlife hospitals. Sanctuaries never buy, trade, or accept animals from private commercial breeders.
4. Lifetime Commitment and Honest Financials:Lifetime care for an elephant or large carnivore costs hundreds of thousands of dollars over decades. Ethical organizations publish open annual budgets and spending evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single biggest red flag for a pseudo-sanctuary?

Allowing direct visitor contact with wild animals — especially cub petting, selfie encounters, or walking with predators. True sanctuaries never allow public contact because it causes chronic stress and requires a constant supply of bred or taken infants.

Why do ethical sanctuaries have a strict no-breeding policy?

Sanctuaries exist to care for animals that cannot survive in the wild. Breeding animals into lifetime captivity wastes limited sanctuary space and budget that should be used to rescue animals from cruelty.

What accreditation proves an animal sanctuary is genuine?

Accreditation by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) is the international gold standard. GFAS conducts rigorous physical inspections, audits veterinary records, and enforces zero-breeding and zero-commercialization rules.

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