Rita & Champignon

My name is Rita. I came to Alturas after the sanctuary where I used to live closed down. But my story began long before that. I was originally confiscated from someone who was keeping me as a pet.

I was named after a volunteer who used to catch grasshoppers for me. Those little moments of care became part of my life, and somehow, her name became part of mine.

In 2024, something wonderful happened.

I got a friend.

Her name is Champignon, and she was also rescued from life as a pet. We found companionship in each other, and now we share our home here at Alturas.

But as much as we might wish otherwise, the wild is no longer a safe place for us.

Because we grew up around people, we never had the chance to learn all the skills we would need to survive on our own. And even if we could learn some of them, we are simply too comfortable around humans.

That might sound harmless. It isn't.

A wild animal that isn't afraid of people can walk toward houses, roads, or strangers, and that can put both the animal and people in danger.

So we cannot be released.

Instead, this is where our story continues.

We may have started our lives as pets, but here we get to live as the animals we are, with space, enrichment, companionship, and people who understand that caring for us sometimes means knowing that we can never go back.

I didn’t choose the life that brought me here. But I’m grateful I found a friend to share this one with.