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

legacy.com:

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