Our Story

Wildlife Haven is a conservation-minded residential community next to Borderlands Wildlife Preserve in Patagonia, Arizona. Wildlife Haven Property Owners Association (WHPOA) governs the community, representing over 20 property owners. WHPOA meets quarterly.

In 2004, the Arizona Game and Fish Department funded a team of conservation biologists from Northern Arizona University (NAU) to identify critical linkages important for wildlife migration. The Sonoita Creek Wildlife Corridor  was ranked as one of the most important linkages in the region for black bear, ocelots, mountain lion, and the very few jaguar that move between Mexico into the United States via the Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountain ranges near Patagonia, AZ.

In 2015 over 1,000 acres of nearly pristine grassland, oak woodland, and remnant cienega right at the center of the wildlife linkage were listed for sale by a bank after they had foreclosed on the developer. The skeleton of the planned development was already in place. The properties boasted significant space set aside for conservation. However, this “Swiss cheese” conservation easement provided no corridor for animal movement. A group of environmentalists and investors came together to purchase the property, creating the Preserve, and also setting aside 20+ residential units for development, under strict conversation easement, which became Wildlife Haven.