ETHEL —  In East Feliciana, a popular animal park is making major changes.

Sanctuary Hill, formerly known as Magnolia Wilds, was created by employees of Magnolia Wilds.

Its new leadership says that the goal of Sanctuary Hill is to be there for the animals and have their mission centered on their well-being. 

Magnolia Wilds, previously known as Barn Hill Preserve, has been the subject of numerous controversies.

In 2023, a boy was bitten by a hyena and a giraffe was confiscated. This year, the park's longtime owner, John Ligon, was arrested in Texas for alleged defrauding two people in Grant Parish. 

Under the new leadership, Sanctuary Hill says it is trying to have a fresh start, with a focus on the animals.

"When the previous owner expressed interest in stepping away from the business, a group of employees came together and brought the idea to him that we would like to take over. For us, there was no other option. We know these animals, we love these animals,” Sanctuary Hill Head of Outreach Sawyer Aucoin said.

One of the biggest changes in the works is Sanctuary Hill's ending of Magnolia Wilds’ animal encounters, like its otter swim encounter. 

The attraction has been flagged by the United States Department of Agriculture for biting incidents in the past. The closing will come in a couple of months.

"We are honoring all Magnolia Wild bookings to August 31,” Ally Perry with Sanctuary Hill said.

Another change is through the enclosures for the animals.

"As of right now, we still have our regular enclosures. We are looking to build better enclosures for them, so that is what we are trying to raise money for right now,” Perry said. 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has voiced concerns about the preserve for years, praised Sanctuary Hill for its decision to move away from animal encounters. PETA is encouraging Sanctuary Hill to seek accreditation from groups like the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

"This would mean that they have to meet certain care standards, and this is an alliance and organization that has really high standards that they've set for even individual species, but all captive animals, and they do inspections,” said Debbie Metzler, the Managing Director of Captive Wildlife with The PETA Foundation. 

Aucoin says that Sanctuary Hill has learned about the federation and rehabilitation licensing opportunities.

"We are actively seeking accreditation. We are researching our options, which accreditation fits best for us, best for our animals,” Aucoin said.

While they figure out a plan to do that, Sanctuary Hill is accepting volunteers and encouraging donations, whether it be money, resources or food for the animals.