Secrets of Wildlife Sanctuaries: Shocking Undercover Photos

As we discovered during IFAW’s yearlong investigation, most sanctuaries are not safe havens for big cats or the people who visit them.

Nearly every one of the 42 USDA-facilities we visited had serious and disturbing violations of key safety measures.

Slideshow: IFAW Undercover Investigation of USDA-Licensed Wildlife Facilities

A tragedy waiting to happen.

A young girl pets a cougar restrained by only a handler's leash. At another USDA facility, a Kansas teenager was killed when a tiger on a leash attacked her.

Too close for comfort.

A young woman’s face is just inches away from a 700 lb. Siberian tiger. One swipe of a claw could leave her seriously scarred or blinded.

That’s one big baby.
For $10, you can have your photo taken bottle-feeding a 7-month-old Siberian tiger on a leash. Although "cubs" can sometimes be exhibited through a regulatory loophole, this tiger is far too old to qualify.

A gaping violation of USDA regulations.
The gap in the enclosure is wide enough for someone to stick their arm through. Only a flimsy rope 1 1/2 feet off the ground separated the public from this adult tiger's cage.