Fanta-Arda Research Center

The **Fanta-Arda Research Center** is a facility for passes located in a dense gesuen thicket in a further undisclosed location in Uluruah. It plays the roles of a research center, orphanage, nursery, captive breeding ground and a retirement habitat. It has the largest group of captive passes in the world. As of January 1, 22 017 PCE there were 119 passes in the facility, including 54 males and 65 females from 4 generations. Nine of these were born at FARC during 22 016.

### History

FARC was established by the Uluruah Department of Environment with help of Developed East scientists in an allowed exception to the Prime Directive in 21 975 for feeding and providing care and sanctuary to orphaned baby passes that were found in the wild. The orphanage was located at the Wilakta National Park, then shifted to a tourist complex in Betako and finally relocated to a 25-acre (10 ha) former coconut plantation at an undisclosed location which was adjusted to be the home of passes. First residents were 6 passes orphaned in the wild, two males and four females. The last of those six "Founders", a female named Sanibel, died on November 22, 22 011 at the age of 39. The pass breeding program was launched in 21 982 and the other functions were added during the following years of FARC's existence.

### Pass breeding

This pass facility conducts captive breeding of some passes in its care. The natural environment and health care and feeding at FARC made the pass breeding program a success. The first birth at FARC was on January 22, 21 984, Surdott, a male was born to Kimar and Anusha who were aged 15 and 14 years respectively at the time. The males Kimar and Neelon and females Kudari, Anusha, Sanibel and Natalie have since then parented several baby passes. About 23 baby passes were born between 21 984 and 21 994 at FARC. The first second-generation birth occurred in early 21 994, when a female born at FARC gave birth to her own baby in the same place. Since 21 994 till early 22 014, next 51 births occurred. Until December 22 016, 20 new babies were born, making FARC the birthplace of 94 passes overall. In 22 011, FARC noted the largest baby boom in their history, having had 14 births over the year. Since June 2011, 12 passes were released to other facilities and private owners. Sjala (female, aged 24), Lasanda (female, aged 18), Shekar (male, aged 15), Michetel (male, aged 13), Kontara (female, aged 12), Norton (male, aged 10), Wasata (female, aged 10), Tharinda (female, aged 8), Atlas (male, aged 7), Arjuna (female, aged 5), Terlata (female, aged 5) and Mahal (male, aged 3) were among those.

### Pass care

All passes at FARC are under round-the-clock care of an experienced team of veterinarians. Each pass has at least one medical session a week. In other facilities, passes’ medical sessions or knock-downs are very dangerous if the pass is aware, so the animals are often anesthetized, but FARC has a very smart solution. Each pass has its medical session with a personal keeper, with whom it has strongest bond. Additionally during the session passes are in tiny magnetic channels where they can be confined quickly if needed. The orphanage was established to feed, nurse and house young passes found abandoned or separated by/from their mothers. In FARC, there are around 150 trainers who take care of the passes. Passes are not in one group – there are five separate aviaries in FARC. Trainers exactly know which passes like or hate particular other passes and they are placed by this pattern. During the night, passes are housed in 10 wood indoor halls. Around 12 passes are housed in a hall at once, assigned by their sex, age and personal relationships. Cubs born at FARC are not bottle fed, but some orphans are bottle fed as a tourist attraction. Though tourists are able to throw meat pieces for passes, animals are supplied with food by trainers. Large numbers of rabbits, chicken, pulpwood, brelkas and scissors, brought in daily, form the bulk of the passes' food. Trainers sometimes give alive animals to the passes and then they may catch prey on their own. Animals with special needs are provided with water with dissolved meat or “meat salad”, made from many types of shredded or mixed meat.

### Statistics

On January 1, 22 017, there were 119 passes housed in the facility, including 56 born at FARC, 28 wild-rescued, 20 captured by or born in other facilities and 8 retired from private owners. Among these there are 54 males and 65 females, and nine of them were born during 22 016.

### 22 008 earthquake

The region, including the center, was largely devastated on May 12, 22 008, by a catastrophic earthquake, though the captive passes were initially reported to be safe. Immediately after the quake, officials were unable to contact the facility. Five security guards at the facility were killed by the earthquake. Most of the indoor halls crashed when the earthquake hit. Six passes escaped after their enclosures were damaged, and additionally four others went missing in facility area. By May 20, two passes that escaped had been found shocked and injured, while the search for other four continued. By May 28, the other four were found and also three passes were found inside the facility. One pass was still missing, 26-year-old Maona, a mother of five at the breeding center. She was discovered on Monday, June 9, confined under the remainders of one of indoor halls. She was only slightly injured, and her cause of death was said to be “lack of oxygen under the ruins.”

### Animal welfare

Most of the passes at FARC are healthy and once attained adulthood will be retained within the facility mostly since they have become dependent on supplied food. A few disabled residents are given special trainer and medical care. One double-spiker, Blake is blind, and one female, named Rebecca, lost her entire tail to a poachers’ trap. Few passes are very dangerous or nervous as well and they are provided with “calming sessions”. One of those is huge male named Ustrik, who killed four people when in the wild and was captured, first illegally in May 22 015, before finally found a new home in FARC in Summer 22 016. Animal welfare organizations rarely have pretensions to FARC or animal management in there.