Mixed in amongst all the well-known tourists spots of Portrush is ‘Casey’s Creatures’, a wildlife sanctuary that focusses on housing exotic animals, and rehabilitating local species when needs be.
This shelter, which has been in Portrush for the last 17 years, struggled in the same way many organisations did when they were hit by the restrictions of the COVID-19 lockdowns, and their future looked uncertain for a while. But, through community support and some animal shows over Zoom, things are looking up for the critters.
In this piece, our reporter Ben Sharkey spoke to Casey McKinney, the founder and namesake for the sanctuary, to hear how he and his animals survived the financial strain of COVID, and what plans he has for the future.
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