This is the story of Eddie. Eddie was born to a pair of black leopards that The Wild Animal Sanctuary rescued from a pseudo-sanctuary called Tiger Rescue in Colton, California. When his parents, Sam and Gina, arrived they were very fearful of people and unfortunately Gina was pregnant. The Wild Animal Sanctuary does not breed (or sell) any of its Animals, so we had no nursery set up for cubs. The Craig family considered it to be in the little cubs best interest to raise the cub in their household. This is the shortened version of the Animal Planet show Growing Up. It goes through trials and successes throughout Eddie's life and how the bond that him and the Craig family established still lives on today.

The Wild Animal Sanctuary is difficult to describe in words. It is a feeling of tranquility that drifts up from the Animals that envelopes onlookers to a point that even small children fall silent. Each of the Animals here has a name and each one has a story. These Animals have known little happiness before their arrival here at The Sanctuary, but here with room to run, swim and play, they are happy. In this comfortable setting, more than 150 Animals are enjoying the life they deserve. Here at one of the largest, most unique Sanctuaries in the country, you can easily see that every dollar donated goes to benefit the Animals. With 7,000 Tigers alone living outside the zoo system in the United States, the need for safe haven, such as this, is immeasurable. With continued support, The Wild Animal Sanctuary can not only provide the warm dens, food and medical attention, these Animals need, but continue their efforts to educate the public about The Captive Wildlife Crisis. Though large donations are important for The Sanctuary's survival, it also relies heavily on the $100, $50, and even $10 donations. There are so many causes that seem so unsolvable, but this one we can accomplish. This peaceful, educational, magical place, can only survive with our aid. Please join us in giving these Animals the happy endings they deserve. Support The Wild Animal Sanctuary for the Animals, for your children, and for yourself. To donate please go to www.wildanimalsanctuary.org or call 303-358-8816.