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Martine Colette (1942–2022), exotic animal rescuer with Wildlife Waystation

by Linnea Crowther

Martine Colette was an animal welfare activist who founded Wildlife Waystation, a Los Angeles-area sanctuary for wild and exotic animals.

Wildlife Waystation

Colette was working as a costume designer in Hollywood when she rescued her first animal, a mountain lion that was being exhibited in an animal show. She took pity on the animal’s plight in a small cage and brought it to her own home. As Colette began rescuing more animals, her home and yard couldn’t contain them anymore, so she founded Wildlife Waystation in 1976. Located in the Angeles National Forest, the sanctuary was one of the first facilities of its kind, a home to a wide variety of animals including lions, chimpanzees, deer, wolves, and many more. Some had been ill-advised pets, while others were rescued from roadside zoos or unable to survive in the wild. Wildlife Waystation became a favorite cause of some Hollywood celebrities, who helped support its operating costs. In 2017, the sanctuary was damaged in the Creek Wildfire, and floods further damaged it two years later. Colette was unable to continue maintaining Wildlife Waystation, and it closed in 2019.

Notable quote

“Of course, I am firm and direct, sometimes difficult. Some people don’t like that. But what kind of woman do you think it takes to build a place like this?” —from an interview for the Los Angeles Times

Tributes to Martine Colette

“Soon, I’ll be walking with tigers”Wildlife Waystation’s Founder, Martine Colette, passed awayIt is with the heaviest…

Posted by Wildlife Waystation on Monday, January 24, 2022

We are very sad to share the news that our friend Martine Colette, the founder of the Wildlife Waystation has sadly…

Posted by World Animal News on Tuesday, January 25, 2022

My dear friend Martine Colette, another warrior woman in the cause of animal and wildlife protection and conservation, has gone on to sleep with the tigers. You will be sorely missed …

Posted by Stefanie Powers on Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Full obituary: Los Angeles Times

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