LAKE VIEW TERRACE >> Thanks to a new fundraising campaign, the Wildlife Waystation refuge for abandoned lions, tigers, chimpanzees and other exotic animals hopes to soon reopen to the public.

The nonprofit refuge north of Lake View Terrace, closed to visitors 14 years ago after it ran afoul of Los Angeles County regulators, has raised nearly half the $250,000 for repairs required for a conditional use permit, officials say.

The 160-acre wildlife sanctuary in Little Tujunga Canyon once drew busloads of Los Angeles school children to see such animals as Mungar the tiger and Bolero the Lion. It now houses an estimated 450 abandoned and abused animals, birds and reptiles.

“Acquiring a conditional use permit is vital to our mission to once again share our home and vision with the world outside Little Tujunga Canyon,” said Waystation Director Martine Colette, who founded the nation’s first exotic wildlife sanctuary 50 years ago. “This will provide a sustainable future for the animals.”

The Waystation closed to visitors in 2001 after county regulators ordered it to widen roads and upgrade its water and sewage systems. The state Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Department of Agriculture also cited it for numerous health and safety violations.

Colette said a permit to reopen to the public is pending further repairs. She said a “one-stop meeting” to discuss a visitors permit with county regulators is set for next month.

Until then, the Wildlife Waystation has raised $100,000 toward its $250,000 goal, part of it through an online crowdfunding “Wayke Up!” campaign which runs through Feb. 10 at indiegogo.com.