I have exciting news!  After months of twists and turns, ceasefires, then resumption of war, we have just secured a route out of Israel for lions BenTzur and Ori.

With your help today, the lions will be on African soil on August 4^th.

Seized as tiny cubs by the Police with Israel’s Nature & Parks Authority (NPA) in a crackdown on illegally trafficked animals over a year ago, BenTzur and Ori, didn’t just have a bad start in life, but our plans went on hold as they became stranded for months in a war zone. 

The tiny cubs were torn from their mother when they should have been suckling, to be passed from person to person to pose with as “trophy pets”. 

Treated as a fashion accessories and status symbols for social media likes, these animals are often dumped when the owners get bored, or the animals too big and expensive to feed.  Rescues like this are an important if we are to fight back against this cruelty.

Ori was found in a basement and BenTzur tied to a tree. A zoo took them in on a temporary basis, then after a near year-long wait, they were offered a home in South Africa, only for a wildfire at the sanctuary to end their chance at a life in Africa.

ADI evacuated two white lions, Lei-ah and Elsa, from the stricken sanctuary, and Tim and I flew to Israel to take over the rescue of BenTzur and Ori. We obtained export and import permits to bring the lions to South Africa, and, as they were growing fast, ordered adult-size ADI-specification travel crates built in Israel. With Lei-ah and Elsa in our quarantine unit indefinitely, we began adapting a habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary to take the boys.

When the war started between Israel, the United States and Iran, we were suddenly in limbo. After months of waiting, there is now a way out for the lions and I have seized it.

However, this rescue is coming at high cost, with the war sending prices sky rocketing – there are no free, or discounted, services available to us this time. I desperately need your help to raise $80,000 (£60,000) to cover the most urgent travel, habitat construction, and care costs for BenTzur and Ori.  If we cannot raise the funds for this rescue, it will severely impact our ability to help other animals and put a strain on the ADIWS daily running costs.

Tim and I have just managed to secure the last tickets remaining on a flight to Israel. We will arrive there on Thursday 30 July, ready to load the lions on Sunday 2^nd August and will take off in the early hours of Monday 3^rd, fly to Frankfurt, Germany to change aircraft and finally arrive in Johannesburg on Tuesday 4 August.

I will keep you updated every step of the way.

This is an urgent appeal, please give what you can.  With your help we can change the luck of these two lions and bring them home to Africa. Donate US $, CA $ | Donate UK £, Euros, Rand

You can also adopt the lions and contribute to their lifetime care from our US store | UK store.

Let’s bring them home.