A photographer has paid a breathtaking tribute to exotic animals rescued from the black market or formerly kept as pets clandestinely.
Natasha Wilson, based in LA and Phoenix, dedicated a photo series to wild life sanctuary Animal Tracks, which operates out of Santa Clarita in California.
The animals rescued by Animal Tracks, which include a wolf, a kangaroo and an alligator, cannot be returned to their natural habitat and this rely on the facility for survival.
Beauty: A photographer has paid a breathtaking tribute to exotic animals, some of whom were formerly kept as pets. One of them is this snake named Erminator, whose owners didn’t realize he would get so big
Stories: The animals reside at Animal Tracks, a sanctuary in Santa Clarita, California. They include this pair of cockatoos, both of which were previously owned as pets until their owners stopped being able to take care of them
Past: Honey Bear and Luna, two kinkajous, appear in photographer Natasha Wlison’s series. Luna once lived in Minnesota, where she was attacked by her mother, while Honey Bear previously lived at another facility in Florida
Awareness: With her pictures, Natasha wants to bring awareness to the sanctuary and its activities. The facility rescude Quillamenia, a porcupine who was a surplus animal at another organization in the past
Natasha’s photo series, titled Where The Wild Things Are, grew out of her desire to raise awareness for Animal Tracks and its activities.
‘I have seen no greater team care for and love these animals, and because of that, I strongly want to help in anyway I can,’ the photographer wrote on her Facebook page.
In her images, the sanctuary’s animals can be seen interacting with models in colorful settings.
The models wear elegant gowns made out of stunning fabrics, and their arresting make-up complements the backgrounds in mesmerizing ways.
Rescued: Chomper, meanwhile, is a 7-year-old alligator who was confiscated from his owners after they kept him in their bathtub. He is one of the animals immortalized by Natasha in a colorful setting
Lives: Female monkey Squirt came from the film industry, while Marci previously had an owner who moved from Arizona to California and thus was no longer allowed to have a monkey as a pet
Injured: Luke, a seven-year-old monkey, had a private owner but lost all of the fingers on his right hand after a fight with another monkey. He is now among the animals who live at Animal Tracks
Peers: Krissy, a female baboon, also came from the movie industry. She ended up at Animal Tracks when her former owner noticed other baboons sometimes picked on her and decided to find her a happier home
Traveler: This four-year-old armadillo named Frank The Tank had owners in San Diego before coming to the sanctuary
New home: These members of the cavy family, who are about two years old, belong to the same family as guinea pigs. They previously had owners in Arizona and are now in the care of Animal Tracks
Home! Marley, one of seven monkey residents at the sanctuary, is the brother of Marci, who is featured in another photo. Both of them came to the facility after their owner moved from Arizona to California
Hurt: This Laughing Kookaburra named Bam-Bam lost a quarter of the bottom part of his beak after being attacked by another bird and now needs the facility to keep his beak short so that he can eat and drink
However, the real stars of the photos are the animals, which take center stage.
Among them is a five-year-old female red kangaroo named Bella Roo, who was previously owned by people who did not have permission to keep her, Natasha explained on Facebook.
Also included is a wolf/dog hybrid named Scout, who previously was used in the movie industry. However, when it emerged Scout had a spine condition, staffers realized he needed another home, and Scout ended up at Animal Tracks.
Chomper, meanwhile, is a 7-year-old alligator who was confiscated from his owners after they kept him in their bathtub.
The still young alligator is currently 2.5 feet long, but once he reaches his adult size, he is expected to grow up to 14 feet while weighing 800 pounds.
Animal Tracks has also become home to Little Bear, a three-year-old male skunk whose mother was killed as a nuisance animal after being fed by humans and becoming dependent on them.
The tiny mammals is now used to teach people in Southern California how to properly interact with his species.
Fury: This ferret is one of five at Animal Tracks. Some of them previously lived in shelters, while others were owned illegally
Cuddling: Cheshire, a Bengal Cat, had several owners, and ended up at Animal Tracks after adopting certain behaviors such as shredding fabrics and attacking other pets
New leaf: This wolf/dog hybrid named Scout was previously part of the movie industry. However, when it emerged Scout had a spine condition, staffers realized he needed another home
Care: Five-year-old female red kangaroo Bella Roo was previously owned by people who did not have permission to keep her
Background: This African Serval named Monzo, 11, was confiscated from owners who were keeping him illegally
Foxy: Dobie, a one-year-old Fennec Fox, was rejected by his mother when he was just a baby. A rescue organization in Minnesota took him in before the owner of Animal Tracks flew there to pick him up