Hundreds of animals flee cartel chaos, violence after wildlife refuge faced with threats

Not even wild animals are safe from Mexico’s cartel violence.

Tigers, elephants, lions and monkeys were evacuated this week from a wildlife refuge in Culiacán, Sinaloa, a city overrun by cartel gunmen.

The animals, some of which were once kept as pets by drug lords, were moved to another facility after staff faced threats and gunfire — a total collapse of law and order.

The Associated Press reports that the Ostok Sanctuary, which housed over 700 animals, was forced to pack up...