The past month has seen ADI continuing to campaign worldwide to end animal suffering and care for animals we have rescued at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary and the sanctuaries we fund.

A highlight has been Ruben finding his voice! There was huge excitement hearing a new voice in the morning chorus at ADIWS as Ruben joined in with the roars of Simba and Rey. Over 150,000 people watched his roar getting louder on social media and you can see the clip here. 

With the passing of magician Dirk Arthur, there are no longer any big cats on the Las Vegas Strip. Repeatedly exposed by ADI investigators, Arthur owned 10 cats at the time of his death — six tigers, one snow leopard, two clouded leopards and a bobcat. They were taken into the care of the Clark County Animal Protection Services and are to be relocated to a sanctuary.

The King’s speech, outlining the Government’s agenda, has failed to mention the manifesto promise to end hunting trophy imports. Last month a private members’ bill to do this was blocked by a handful of members of the House of Lords. The speech did promise a ban on export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses for slaughter and fattening and action to tackle climate change and biodiversity. However, dropping of the trophy pledge after is a clear betrayal of a promise to the electorate.  

ADI’s inflatable owl monkey, highlighting animal experiments in Colombia, continues to generate interest, visiting schools accompanied by ADI’s Eduardo and Yani. The team also recently addressed an event in the Colombian Congress organized by Senator Esmeralda Hernández, recognizing regional leaders for their work for animals. Deputies, Councilors, and activists attended and discussed conservation, rescue, and protection strategies.

More than a dozen tortoises were rescued from the wildfires that swept Free State South Africa at the end of dry season in September. The tortoises are now roaming our 455-acre ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. On a day of terrible fires, the ADIWS team fought off a serious blaze and prevented it from entering the sanctuary.

The Los Angeles Board of Animal Services Commissioners unanimously recommended rodeos be banned, describing them as inherently cruel. ADI submitted testimony supporting the ordinance from Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and is part of a coalition working to get the ban across the finish line. We have regularly protested bull riding events staged in the city. If you live in Los Angeles, please urge your councilmembers to support Blumenfield’s LA rodeo ban. Find their details here. 

Lithuania’s 40 mink and 30 chinchilla farms caging a million animals must close by 2027 thanks to the country’s new Law on Animal Welfare and Protection. Elsewhere outbreaks of COVID-19 on a mink farm in Bulgaria and the H5N1 variant of avian flu on a farm in Spain are increasing pressure to end the cruel industry. In the US, please ask your Congress members to support the Mink VIRUS Act (HR3783) to end mink-farming nationwide. Take action here. 

Massachusetts is considering a Bill requiring manufacturers and testing facilities to use methods that replace animal testing of products and ingredients for cosmetics, household cleaners, and industrial chemicals (such as those used in paint). ADI has submitted testimony in support of the legislation sponsored by Representative Jack Patrick Lewis and Senator Mark Montigny.  If you live in Massachusetts, please call the Committee Senate contact (617) 722-1555 and House contact (617) 722-2020 and ask their support for H850 and S1424.

As part of the UK’s Time for Change coalition, ADI is urging National Park authorities to end trail hunting on their land. This has become a smokescreen for the continued hunting and killing of foxes despite a long-held ban in England and Wales. 

Has it already been four years since the mighty Kesari arrived at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary? We remember waiting with bated breath for him to emerge from his travel crate after he arrived from Pretoria Zoo, and to hear him roar for the first time (rather like Ruben). He has become confident and playful, great friends with Coco and Chino on one side and Simba and Rey on the other. A reminder that ADIWS is a home for life. That’s why your adoptions are so vital for the animal care. 

Two in every three farm animals – more than 50 billion every year – are confined intensively. Calls to ‘End the Cage Age’, backed by more than 1 million people, led to a commitment by the European Commission to act, but progress has been blocked following pressure from agriculture lobbyists. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is also financing industrial pig and chicken production in China, Vietnam, Uganda, and Ecuador. Please join ADI calling on IFC Governor and UK Minister Andrew Mitchell to stop this. 

‘Doc’ Antle has received a suspended two-year sentence, 5-year ban from exotic animal trade in the state, and must pay $10,000 after being convicted of four counts of illegal wildlife trafficking in Virginia. He had faced up to 20 years in prison and with more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals, a tougher sentence and permanent ban had been hoped for (pic from an ADI investigation of Antle’s facility several years ago).

Despite the global risk of extinction, the Icelandic government has allowed the killing of fin whales to resume by the country’s last whaling company, Hvalur hf, whose 5-year whaling licence expires next month. Please urge Iceland’s Prime Minister and Hvalur hf to put an end to this cruel practice after the licence expires.

This little foal, her mother and father were found hobbled in a township street. Will you help us give them a home for life at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary? Thanks to your wonderful response last week, Matilda the cow, eight goats, and two sheep are joining us and these horses can join them next. 

Thanks to everyone who sponsored pumpkin treats, our ADIWS lion and tiger residents had a very happy Halloween. Enjoy our video here. 

ADI works on many fronts to secure lasting change for animals: investigations, campaigns, education, rescues, and providing sanctuary. This e-alert gives a flavor of our past month’s work, if you would like to help this with a general donation, please click here. 

Thank you for making our work for animals possible.​​​​​