Even wild animals are not immune to cartel violence in Mexico.
Tigers, elephants, lions and monkeys are evacuated this week from a wildlife sanctuary in Culiacán, Senaloa, occupied by Cartel gunmen.
After employees faced threats and gunfire, these animals were once raised as pets by drug owners, which was a complete collapse of law and order.
The Associated Press reported that the Ostoke Shelter, which has more than 700 animals, was forced to pack up and escape months of violence and suffering from rival factions in the Sinaloa Cartel.
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A lion sat in a cage waiting to be transported to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, in Ostoke sanctuary, on Tuesday in the suburbs of Culiaan, Sinaloa, Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Some animals have no food for several days. Others start to shed their fur from the stress. The two big cats died.
“We have never seen violence so extreme,” shelter director Ernesto Zazueta told the Associated Press.
This is what happened when the Cartels hosted a show and the government took a step forward.
For years, Culiacán has firmly controlled Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organizations. The "order" was broken when one of Chapo Guzmán's sons kidnapped an opponent's cartel leader and handed him over to the U.S. authorities.
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An elephant arrived at its new home in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, after being shipped Tuesday from Ostok Sanctuary, in the outskirts of Culiacan, Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Now, the cartels are fighting each other for the turf. Civilians, including children and families, are paying the price.
Security analyst David Saucedo told the Associated Press that two warring factions are "ranspellbish, kidnapping and robbing" to fund their war. The roads were blocked. Shootings happen almost every day. Parents check the news every morning to see if they can safely send their children to school.
As night fell, the streets turned dark. The bar is closed. Business closed. police? Most of them do not exist.
The animal shelter sits near Jesús María, the fortress of the faction run by El Chapo's son. This makes it a dangerous place.
Exotic animals were captured in the firefight according to the British mirror. Tigers, lions and even elephants showed signs of trauma in nearby gunfire and helicopters.
Lioness was carried on Monday in a transport cage at the Ostoke Reserve, an animal shelter in the outskirts of Culiacante, Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Some of these animals were once owned by the cartel owner. During the gun battle, a tiger was found bound in the square. Locals whisper, poisonous drugs dogs feed their pet lions - it's an unsettling rumor that reflects how broken things are.
Staff said they were threatened to burn the sanctuary and kill the animals unless they were paid.
"There are no safe places in the city these days," rescuer Diego García told the Associated Press.
After months of seeking help, what the shelter has got from the government. No institution has intervened in protecting animals or workers.
The last straw was when Bireki, an elephant in the sanctuary, was injured in the foot. There is no veterinarian in Mexico or even the United States who is willing to go to the cartel territory to treat her.
“We asked ourselves, ‘What are we doing here?’” Zazueta told the Associated Press. "Who will treat them if we don't leave?"
This led to the decision to evacuate quiet: not only the elephants, but every animal on site.
Trucks with white flags are filled with calm tigers, lions, jaguars and elephants. Some workers whispered to the animals calmly, trying to relieve stress. The convoy rolled out of Culiacán, looked out on the motorcycle with a masked cartel look, and entered Mazatlán.
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It took several months of training and planning. But the animals did it. at present.
The shelter staff prayed that Mazatlan would be a real refuge. But they know that cartel violence spreads like a disease. Worry about it being able to follow them.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.