As we count down to Christmas, the lions, tigers, horses, pigs and other residents at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary are enjoying more presents than ever before – from gingerbread men, stars, and stockings made from recycled coffee bags filled with hay and catnip, to cardboard trees and reindeer, and cardboard boxes to tear open.
Please enjoy these pictures as a special THANK YOU for helping to transform the lives of these animals – taking them from tiny circus cages or discarded trophy pets, to their new lives in Africa. On Christmas Day, check out our special video of all the fun http://www.youtube.com/ADITV-animals
SANCTUARY FUNDRAISER UPDATE: Huge thanks to every one who donated to our appeal for waste disposal and ‘grey’ water recycling and filtration systems at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Including the wonderful $50,000 match fund from Big Cat Rescue we have raised $103,583 towards our total of $125,600. We still need to raise $21,764. The Rick and Michele Palmer Animal Relief Fund has now offered an additional matching grant $1250 – so all donations received before December 31, 2024, can now be matched to this.
This week the sun has been blazing hot at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (ADIWS) with the temperature hitting 44 degrees Celsius / 111 degrees Fahrenheit, and, with an alert of two wildfires in the area, there couldn’t have been a more vivid reminder of the importance of water security for our residents at the ADIWS. So, I want to start with a very special thankyou to everyone who has contributed to our latest fundraiser to install state-of-the-art waste disposal and grey water recycling and filtration systems to conserve precious water.
This huge project will impact the daily life of the Sanctuary for years to come and the total cost will be $125,600. Thanks to your support, we have raised $53,835 and thanks to the generous match fund of $50,000 from Big Cat Rescue, we have $103,583 and just $21,764 to raise. The first phase of the project is already under way, with Chris Lee Lodge (volunteer accommodations), the temporary resident food kitchen, and the big barn (will be new Resident Care Center and J.Jarie Jensen Veterinary Center), and the Tohir Staff Village all fully serviced with waste disposal and water recycling. Our Resident Welfare Team will finally move into their new accommodations by Christmas!
I am truly grateful to Carole and Howard Baskin of Big Cat Rescue (BCR) for helping get this daunting project underway with their match fund. We first began working with BCR in 2015 (above) planning the rescue and relocation of Hoover tiger, who we rescued from a circus in Peru. BCR later supported our circus rescue in Guatemala and provided a home for tigers Simba, Kimba and Max, as well as working together for TEAPSPA and the Big Cat Public Safety Act. BCR has now closed as a sanctuary, with Simba, Kimba and Max transferred to Turpentine Creek, and Carole and Howard are now focused on big cat conservation projects. With decades of experience running a sanctuary, they immediately understood the importance of water security and clean waste disposal – thank you.
Can you help get us to the FINISH LINE with this hugely important water security project for ADIWS?
Last week, Dr Peter Caldwell came to the Sanctuary for annual health checks and vaccinations. He sedated four lions: Chino had a small umbilical hernia checked, which Dr Caldwell determined was not troubling him and did not need action; Tarzan’s vitamin levels were checked, and he is being treated for a kidney infection; Saif and Muheeb had blood and urine samples taken. We are concerned about Muheeb (pictured) losing weight, but we await lab results. In the meantime, Dr Caldwell has given him additional vitamins, supplements, and antibiotics and his food is monitored and adjusted as needed, each day.
Two UK women have been sentenced to prison for two years and fifteen months respectively, under the Serious Crimes Act (2007) for distributing hundreds of monkey torture videos and images on Telegram. The videos were filmed in Indonesia and the ground-breaking conviction was the first time offenders have been charged for animal cruelty offences committed abroad. Monkey torture content has been growing over the past few years, ADI is working with the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), and the UK’s Ofcom regulator, to crack down on such online videos. Please let ADI know when you see cruel or suspect content, for example, fake rescues, where animals are deliberately placed in danger (for example for fake rescues).
Three horses – Abuffalosoldier, Bangers And Cash, and Napper Tandy – died at the UK’s Cheltenham races. Abuffalosoldier had just won his race when he collapsed and died. The on-course vet stated it was a cardiovascular issue, possibly a heart attack, adding there was high-risk in elite athletes whether they are horses or human, whenever there is exertion. While humans have a choice, the horse racing industry pushes these animals to run their hearts out, and when they are no longer wanted many are sent to slaughter. Don’t attend or bet on horse races and spread the word to help raise awareness.
In a historic move, Berkeley in California became the first city in the US to ban factory farming, with 60% of voters voting in favor of a prohibition on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). We hope others will follow this landmark decision.
The UK Ivory Act, which prohibits sale of elephant and rhino ivory, has been amended to include the common hippopotamus, killer whale, narwhal, and sperm whale (walrus ivory is already covered by other regulations). Opponents claimed this will impact the sale of antiques and lead to ivory being thrown away. However, the amendment was passed with the majority view that protecting wildlife from the devastating impact of the ivory trade (including using ‘legal’ ivory as a cover for poached ivory) must override the trade in antique goods.
YOU DID IT! ADIWS now has a fleet of four fully electric Blitz Cruiser vehicles for animal care and maintenance, each powered by a solar panel roof, as well as custom-made fire-fighting tanks for battling wildfires. The vehicles are proving a huge success, improving efficiency, quiet around the animals, non-polluting and no fuel costs! Another step towards being a green Sanctuary and minimizing our impact on the environment in the face of climate change. THANK YOU OUR ADI SUPPORTERS WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
It’s that time of year again, when naturally shy, wide roaming reindeer, are loaded into transporters and taken to city centres and other inappropriate venues to be surrounded by crowds for Christmas events. Despite requests from ADI, Novikov restaurant in central London again used live reindeer as decorations for their Christmas market.
In the US, please contact ADI if you see live reindeer acts in your area.
Orca Keto, who spent 18 years in captivity at Loro Parque in Tenerife, has died. Born 29 years ago at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, Keto’s mother was the first captive-born orca at the park, while his father was captured from the wild near Iceland in 1978. Tragically, his father died when his skull was crushed by a metal gate. Keto was repeatedly moved between SeaWorld locations in the U.S. before being flown across the Atlantic with three other young orcas to Loro Parque. For his entire life, Keto was confined to a small tank and made to perform tricks for entertainment. Intelligent and social, he was denied the freedom of the world’s oceans, natural communications, stimulation and enjoyment of his family group. Another victim of cheap entertainment with no thought to the suffering caused.
In the US, please urge your Congress members to support the Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings (SWIMS) Act, S3694 to ban the taking and breeding of certain cetacean species for public display, and their import/export. You can use this form to contact them – enter your address to send a message to your Congress members.
We previously reported on the escape of 43 young macaque monkeys from a laboratory facility in South Carolina. Most have now been recaptured, with reports of four still at large. Their escape has led to concerns about the facility’s operations, questions about the substantial funding it has received, its history of ethical violations, primate escapes, and the potential danger posed to both human and animal communities.
Please urge Alpha Genesis to release the monkeys to a suitable sanctuary and replace animal use with advanced scientific methods – faster, cheaper, more relevant to humans. Email them at info@alphagenesisinc.com.
Zoo vets believe a baby red panda at Edinburgh Zoo died after choking on her own vomit due to the stress of exploding fireworks on Bonfire Night. Studies have shown that approximately 45% of dogs show fear and anxiety during fireworks, cats often hide or run away, and birds and bats often abandon their nests, with some flying up to 500 km to escape the noise, leaving them exhausted. Regulations are urgently needed to limit firework access, use, and to set noise limits. Please support better ways to celebrate, like laser shows, drones, candles, sparklers, and urge firework outlets to either drop their sale or only sell low impact (reduced noise) fireworks. In the UK, Sarah Owen MP has introduced a private members bill (the Fireworks Bill) which would provide stricter rules for sellers and a 90-decibel noise limit for fireworks. The bill will have its second reading in January. Please urge your MP to support. Read more about the impact of fireworks on our website here.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and our Luna and Jade cards are selling fast, so if you have yet to place an order through our UK / US stores for your festive goodies, be sure to do so by December 18 in the UK or December 16 in the US to receive in time for the big day!
With your help, we are continuing to change the world for animals, with education, legislation, rescues.
At the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (ADIWS), our pride and joy are the huge natural habitats where our rescued lions and tigers can run free and express themselves – there’s no sight in the world quite like seeing a lion or tiger run full speed across acres of space. Sheer joy for life!
Equally important, though, is the infrastructure that makes our Sanctuary tick, which nourishes and protects our residents – internal roads, solar power pumping water, solar fencing for protection, vehicles for animal care, etc., all are investments in the future for saving more animals.
This Giving Tuesday, we need your help to raise $75,600 (£60,000) for an unusual development – one of our most important projects to date.
Our remote location provides a paradise for animals, and benefits from natural spring-fed boreholes for drinking. However, it also means we must ensure we (a) recycle ‘grey’ water (from showers, washing machines, etc.), to re-use it for watering trees, washing cars, etc., and (b) dispose of our waste into a natural, healthy, septic tank system. This is critical to how many animals we can rescue and maintain in future.
With your help we will install state-of-the-art ‘grey’ water recycling, along with a modern sewage and septic tank system, provision of hygienic public facilities which meet public health standards, so we can welcome groups of schoolchildren and other visitors.
What we will do:
Waste from toilets (black water) will be processed through five new septic tanks (a natural disposal process).
The new sewage system includes separate ‘fat traps’ for residents’ food preparation areas.
‘Grey’ water from washing, showers, sinks, etc., will be filtered in four water recycling station, and recycled water will be used to flush toilets, water trees, clean vehicles, fight fires, etc.
This system will conserve use of spring water, protect our environment and give us long-term water security, allowing us to save more animals.
We must raise $125,600 (£100,000) for this huge project – can you help? But you may ask, why is our target only $75,600 (£60,000) this week?
THE GREAT NEWS: Big Cat Rescue has offered a $50,000 (£40,000) MATCHING GRANT for this project. So, every donation up to $50,000 (£40,000) will be DOUBLED – $10 becomes $20, $100 becomes $200, $1,000 becomes $2,000 ….
Every contribution will make a difference – even the cost of a cup of coffee will add up quickly, thanks to this match fund. We cannot hit our target and secure the match fund without your help.
We know our ADI supporters appreciate the practicalities of rescuing and saving animals, the facilities, security, and meeting their needs. That’s why this Giving Tuesday we are talking sewers, water recycling, plumbing, knowing you completely understand what it takes to give a new life to animals in need and keep them well, safe, and happy for years to come.
I cannot stress enough, how important this project is to every facet of the Sanctuary, from animal care to our educational and campaigning work – please help in any way you can.
Another busy month has gone by, with one highlight at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary being Halloween! Thanks to our wonderful help of supporters like you, our residents had treats a-plenty to get stuck into – including Muheeb, below.
Also, in case you missed The Dodo‘s video about Muheeb’s rescue, you can watch here, how Muheeb was an illegal pet abandoned in Kuwait City but saved and brought to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary – it has been viewed 9.1 million times.
VICTORY FOR THE ANIMALS: Romania’s parliament has voted to ban fur farming from 2027, closing the last of the farms breeding and killing minks and chinchillas. ADI investigations in fur farms around the world have exposed horrific suffering and brutal killing methods, but country after country is now ending the suffering
It’s time the US caught up, please urge your members of Congress to support the Mink VIRUS Act (HR3783) the federal bill to phase out mink farming and protect public health.
ADI joined forces with 80 animal protection organisations and elephant experts calling for a halt to wildlife culls in Southern Africa. The Namibia and Zimbabwe Governments have announced large culls, including elephants, to ease ‘food insecurity’. Conservation experts have advised governments to focus on regenerative crop farming, rather than the short term slaughter of their countries’ wildlife assets. Sign the petition here.
We had a scare recently with tigress Lupe, who had another seizure. Dr Caldwell has reviewed her medication, and she was back to her old self in time for Halloween! Tragically, malnutrition, in-breeding and severe confinement in the circus in Guatemala has left the older family members with health issues. It is heart breaking that even after they are rescued, their past follows them. Fortunately, Lupe’s sons Max and Stripes were rescued at just 6 months old, and the better nutrition and welfare appears to have saved them from the same issues, they are much larger and hopefully will remain healthier than their parents.
Fireworks continue to cause companion animals, livestock and wildlife distress, injuries, even death. They also release toxic chemicals, and contribute to air pollution. It’s time for a change, to end the overuse of fireworks by limiting their sale to organised public displays as well as low noise/low-impact fireworks or alternatives such as laser light shows. ADI is contacting retailers to commit to only selling low impact fireworks. Read more here.
A new member of the ADIWS family, Freya was found in a sewer, stinking, dirty and in terrible condition. The SPCA asked if we could help, and how could we say “no” to that face? Two years old, she appears to have been a stray for her whole life. She spends her days racing around the garden at Chris Lee Lodge (our upcoming visitor/volunteer housing) before collapsing at night on the bed of one of our team. She has already made friends with Rollo and Milo, and we anticipate much high spirited mischief.
UZBEKISTAN BANS PRIVATE OWNERSHIP WILD ANIMALS, AND ALSO THEIR USE IN CIRCUSES. Coming in to force on January 1, 2025, the new law prohibits private citizens from keeping certain wild animals, including lions, tigers, leopards, bears, chimpanzees, wolves, turtles, spiders, snakes and more, and bans their use for entertainment in public and travelling circuses. All wild animals currently in private or circus ownership must be transferred to licensed zoos or wildlife sanctuaries with government permits before January 1, 2026.
A new TB eradication strategy has been launched by the UK government in a move towards ending the badger cull. Plans include boosting cattle testing, reducing the spread of TB through managing cattle movements, and deploying badger vaccinations. A new population survey will also be carried out this winter. However, the killing will continue as new measures are rolled out. KEEP UP THE PRESSURE. Please take action here to help put a stop to the killing.
California has followed Washington State, prohibiting octopus farming and sale of commercially farmed octopuses. These highly intelligent, communicative animals suffer greatly when confined in stressful, intensive, unnatural conditions. The Governor of California signed the Oppose Cruelty to Octopuses Act – a huge step forward. ADI celebrates this great news, and we hope more states follow suit.
In the US, please urge your Senators to support the Opposing the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through Unethical Strategies (OCTOPUS) Act, to ban commercial octopus farming in the US and prohibit imports of farmed octopus from abroad.
Forty-three young female rhesus macaques recently escaped from a research facility in South Carolina, after a worker failed to secure doors during routine cleaning and feeding. After a few days in nearby woods, the majority of the monkeys have been recaptured. ADI urged Alpha Genesis to show mercy and let the monkeys live out their lives in a sanctuary. Please join us and email info@alphagenesisinc.com.
Fashion giant H&M will stop using new down and feathers for its products worldwide by the end of 2025. Ducks and geese suffer the cruel production process and slaughter for this industry. ADI supports H&M’s decision which we hope will influence other retailers to adopt humane alternatives.
A huge ‘Thank you’ to everyone who contributed to our appeal for Blitz Cruiser electric vehicles for the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. The first two are already doing the rounds and two more are on the way. Our residents are happy as they are quiet around them, and we are happy because they run for no cost, thanks to being solar powered. They are already improving efficiency. We have also received delivery of our custom-made firefighters for the Cruisers, which gives us four extra water tanks for the wildfires.
With your help, we are changing lives around the world for animals – legislation – rescue – new lives.
Thanks to our wonderful supporters, like yourself, our rescued lions, tigers, horses, pigs and others have been in fun paradise at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary with pumpkins, hay bale castles and catnip scarecrows and we will be able to keep the fun going this month.
Our sanctuary has large natural habitats, but the animals still love playing with and investigating new things. Our enrichment includes boxes of hay and catnip, catnip punchbags, watermelons, coffee sacks stuffed with hay and catnip, ice lollies, and at this time of year pumpkins! As the picture of Smith in full flight below shows this enrichment is vital for physical and mental stimulation and pure fun.
Reactions vary, there’s Mahla’s 100mph pumpkin dash; the manic play of the Spice Girls (Jade, Luna, Sun and Moon); Kimba trying to work out how to carry two pumpkins in his mouth, while brother Tomas wanders off; Muheeb grappling; to Tarzan and Tanya who really do only have eyes for each other and are rarely distracted by anything!
Here are a few highlights for ADI’s work around the world for the past month. With your help we are changing lives around the world.
ADI founded International Primate Day on September 1st in 2005 to highlight the suffering of primates and it is now marked all over the world. Our campaign has had some major breakthroughs since then including ending the use of chimpanzees and wild-caught monkeys in EU and UK labs, airport awareness drives in Peru discouraging people from purchasing primates and trafficked animals as pets; the rescue, rehoming and return to the wild of dozens of monkeys rescued from circuses, laboratories, restaurants and traffickers. There is still much to do as primates continue to suffer but with your help we are turning the tide. Right now, in the US we are calling for support of the Captive Primate Safety Act, to ban public contact with and the keeping of primates such as apes, gibbons, monkeys and lorises as pets, as well as ban foreign and interstate trade in these species. If you live in the US, please urge your legislators to sponsor this act.
FIVE ANIMALS EXPERIMENTED ON IN BRITISH LABS EVERY MINUTE. 2.68 million procedures were performed on living animals in the UK according to the latest (2023) government statistics. 2.60 million animals were used in these experiments, including 75,588 animals who were experimented on more than once. This was the lowest number of experiments since 2001, yet still means on average 7,342 animal experiments every day, 305 per hour and 5 animals every minute, one animal experimented on every 12 seconds. ADI is raising several issues from the latest statistics with the Home Office.
ADI protested when Minnesota Renaissance Festival offered elephant, camel, pony, and llama rides throughout September. The brutal training of these animals has been exposed by ADI and at events, like renaissance fairs, these animals have a miserable existence with very limited space either tethered or in transporters. Please politely urge the festival to stop using performing animals at entertainment@renaissancefest.com.
ADI Colombia representative Yani Mateus addressed a special meeting, “Animal experiments, context and irregularities in Colombia”, held in the First Commission of the Colombian Senate in September. Magnolia Martinez from PETA also spoke at the event moderated by Javier González of the Observatorio Animalista. The meeting considered not only the suffering of animals in labs but why animal experiments are outdated and bad science. Following an ADI campaign, Colombia banned animal tests for cosmetics and their ingredients and included measures in the legislation that should help drive forward implementation of non-animal methods.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our appeal for a new platform den in Tohir Habitat for the Cusco family and important maintenance including painting the fence for this huge enclosure. Initial plans to fix the platform, damaged by the heavyweight family leaping onto it over the years, were abandoned when we discovered a colony of bees had made a home there. It was part dismantled, and now we have a new platform AND a home for the bees.
GOOD NEWS: In the UK, eleven trail hunting permits on Ministry of Defence land have been suspended, indefinitely, by the new government. Since hunting was banned over 20 years ago, hunts have used trail hunting as cover to continue hunting live foxes. ADI hopes this suspension will be made permanent and, as part of the Time for Change Coalition Against Hunting, continue to press for loopholes in the 2004 Hunting Act to be closed. In the UK, please help, write, call, speak with your MP (find their details here) and ask them to support the end of foxhunting for good!
In the early hours of one morning, a fire was caused by a vehicle accident on a road running close to the sanctuary. Our night security patrol spotted it and scrambled the sanctuary. Our firefighters raced to the scene and animals were brought into their safe zones. The fire was quickly extinguished. This is the most dangerous time of the year for wildfires as it is the end of the dry season. It was a reminder of how we must be prepared to mobilise quickly and how important an addition the new electric vehicles will be to the sanctuary – see later.
A UK man gets 20 month jail sentence after posting baby monkey torture videos on Facebook. The prosecution was brought under the Obscene Publications Act rather than the new Online Safety Act. ADI and the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC) are calling for the latter to be used to crack down on promotion of cruelty videos online, including the surge in fake rescues where animals are deliberately put in danger to generate views and income. Wherever you live, you can help stop these videos: 1) Don’t watch online animal cruelty content, including fake rescues; 2) Don’t engage with such posts, even to express outrage or draw attention to these videos – this will only boost reach and revenue; 3) Report content to the social media platform, and to SMACC.
Native wildlife has exploded at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary since we began re-wilding. We have planted over 200 trees, allowed the flowers to flourish, and added over 50 natural spring fed water sources. Little wonder there is an abundance of birdlife these days, including the endangered secretary bird. A large bird of prey with eagle-like head and stork-like legs, it is a thrill to see them walking through the long grass at the Sanctuary. We look forward to sharing new wildlife sightings with you!
It has been nearly 10 years since we rescued 4-month-old baby woolly monkey, Fausto. He was illegally captured and trafficked to a restaurant, where ADI rescued him, taking him to Pilpintuwasi sanctuary in the Peruvian Amazon. ADI funds Fausto’s lifelong care, recently paying for repairs to our monkey facilities there. When you support our work, you’re also helping us to care for our rescued animals in Peru – not just those at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.
YOU DID IT! OUR FIRST TWO GREEN MACHINES HAVE BEEN ORDERED: A huge thank you to everyone who contributed towards fully electric Blitz Cruisers to work on the sanctuary. We purchased the first two and are continuing to raise funds to complete our fleet of four! These will really increase mobility on the sanctuary making all of our operations from feeding to repairs more efficient, enabling us to do more for the animals, and keep us moving towards our goal of a sustainable, eco-friendly sanctuary. These green machines will be quiet around the animals, free of emissions, and free to fuel (self-charging with a solar panel roof or charged through the sanctuary’s own solar power station. You can continue donating for the final cruisers here UK I US
The spookiest time of year is nearly upon us once again, and that means pumpkin fun for our lion and tiger residents at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (ADIWS), South Africa. Most of the big cats at ADIWS were rescued from horrific conditions in circuses where they were forced to perform. I am pleased to say there are NO MORE TRICKS – ONLY TREATS – and you can be part of the fun!
Our rescued lions and tigers roam huge natural habitats of several acres – we give them a life as close to nature as possible. But they are clever, very playful and love extra fun and games including catnip sacks and punchbags, watermelons, boxes, and at this time of year they love their pumpkins. This enrichment is vital for keeping our inquisitive and playful residents mentally and physically stimulated.
We will never forget how Ruben loved playing with pumpkins and you can see him and the other residents happily playing with their pumpkin treats in last year’s video here.
It costs an average of £1,500 / $1,800 each month per animal for food, care, veterinary, maintenance and security. That’s £50 / $60 per day. So, this year we are asking for something with each pumpkin donation, to go towards each resident’s care.
Pumpkin Sponsor – £10 / $12 – covers the cost of a pumpkin and a contribution towards a lion or tiger’s care.
‘Golden’ Pumpkin Sponsor – £50 / $64 – provides one pumpkin and one full day of care for a resident.
‘One-For-All’ Pumpkin Sponsor– £186 / $232.50 – a pumpkin and care contribution for every lion and tiger at ADIWS.
If we can raise enough, we can keep the cats entertained with pumpkins and enrichment through to the end of the year.
Help with a donation today and I’ll be reporting back on the fun and games you’ve made possible in the coming weeks.
This weekend, I hope you will help me raise enough to purchase the first two electric off-road vehicles for the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Thanks to our first appeal we are closer to the target, and great news is that one of our Sanctuary Founders has offered a $3,500 / £2,600 match fund. This means that donations this weekend will be doubled, and we can purchase our first two Blitz Cruisers!
The electric Blitz Cruisers will be a vital addition to our work for the animals every day – for feeding, medications, firefighting, repairs, and maintenance – improving our efficiency and security, and helping us to save more animals.
Each vehicle will be fitted with a solar panel roof for self-charging and now the Sanctuary is fully solar powered, we can also charge them when needed – zero emissions, quiet around the animals and powered for free!
An incident at 4.30am on Thursday reminded us just how important it is to have the vehicles we need to mobilize quickly.
Our night security team spotted a blaze following a road accident close to the Sanctuary. Right now, we are towards the end of dry season, when the land is very dry and fires start – any fire can easily become an inferno as it races across the land towards the Sanctuary. The alarm was raised and team ADIWS scrambled into action. The residents were brought into their safe zones – Sasha lioness was a little naughty, taking her time to be coaxed in – while our firefighters raced to the scene. Thankfully the fire was quickly extinguished.
Our new electric vehicles will each carry a custom-made fire fighter, adding significantly to our fire-fighting capability, as well as less dramatic tasks such as watering the newly planted trees around the Sanctuary!
Ultimately, we need to purchase four vehicles at a total cost of £19,400. This weekend, I hope you can help hit our target for the first Blitz Cruisers, and remember, your donations will be doubled! Can you help?
If you make a major contribution of £4,850, it funds an entire vehicle – and you can name your vehicle, and have a tribute printed on it,
The changing climate is having a devasting impact on humans, our planet, and the animals who share it with us. Science tells us it is set to get much, much worse unless people take responsibility and change how we power the things we need. We can all play our part and help save the planet and the animals we love.
When we began building the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa, the land was barren from farming. We pledged to make it self-sustaining for all life, including the bees, insects, small wildlife, as well as our rescued residents. We would be part of the solution. The Sanctuary must always be there.
It was five years ago this week that we first began building the Sanctuary on a piece of blank land, made of two farms. Our first tasks were perimeter security fencing, animal habitat fencing, pumps to distribute the natural spring water to the habitats, and security cameras – all solar powered. We began to plant hundreds of trees, protected the flora and fauna, rewilding the land. The land has come to life, our native wild residents include fifty species of birds, rabbits, hares, mongooses, tortoises, turtles, antelope, jackals, caracal, snakes, fish, and amphibians on the lake.
Thanks to your amazing support we kept on pushing forward, building our place of loving kindness for rescued animals. Since then, we have provided a home for 52 lions and tigers, dozens of rescued tortoises, birds, antelope, donkeys, horses, pigs, a cow, goats, sheep, dogs, ducks, and geese! Everyone is welcome.
This year the ADIWS became fully solar powered when we increased power storage capacity to three huge batteries, meeting all our current operational needs – equipment, tools, freezers, lighting, heating, hot water, computers etc. No more daily power outages from South Africa’s national grid provider, Eskom, and clean sustainable energy. When we open to the public, we will purchase one more battery to provide the extra power needs for the visitors, volunteers, education centre and veterinary centre.
Now, with our own power supply and the new internal roads (built with recycled road materials) we can take another leap forward.
We hope to purchase four fully electric farm utility vehicles for daily resident care, maintenance, trees and environment work, so we can stop using expensive, fuel-hungry road vehicles for the on-site work. These UTVs are popular on farms in South Africa; with a range of 40km, top speed 30km/h, they can carry 400kg, and drive off-road.
Each will be fitted with a solar panel roof, so they are self-charging, but can be plugged into our solar power if a boost is needed.
Our sanctuary covers 455 acres, and our lion and tiger habitats range from 2.5 to 8 acres each, so we cover a lot of ground. These vehicles will increase operational efficiency – each team will have their own vehicle, they are quiet around the animals, can navigate habitats to make fencing and other repairs, distribute millings to repair roads – all while not polluting the environment and power is free!
In each of the past 3 years, we have had a significant wildfire approach our perimeter – thankfully these have all been stopped by our team. These vehicles will increase our coverage, capacity and reach – each vehicle can carry a 300L firefighter and team. We can be in four places at once.
We must raise the cost of all four vehicles $25,200 / £19,400 (cost per vehicle $6,300/£4,850). Can you help?
This is a really, important project to keep our sanctuary moving forward and if we are more efficient and cut long term overheads, we can save more animals!
Thank you so much for supporting our work to help animals in need, you will see from this round-up of recent events that we continue to make a difference.
This month also marked the 10-year anniversary of ADI’s Operation Spirit of Freedom to empty the circus cages in Peru and Colombia. The impact of the mission continues to reverberate in the circus bans that followed in Latin America and elsewhere and in the lives of the animals saved still enjoying their freedom in the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary (like Africa and Kiara above) and sanctuaries in Peru. Read more here.
This work continues and the past month has seen another US state ban exotic animals in circuses, Colombia’s historic bullfighting ban was signed into law and the country’s cosmetics testing ban came into force, and there was more progress on fur.
Read on to see the impact we are having, together, to change lives…
Massachusetts became the sixth US state to ban the use of exotic animals in circuses. After years of campaigning for the legislation, giving testimony and more, H4915 bans the use of elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes, and bears in traveling exhibits and shows. Our thanks to the bill sponsors and everyone who helped support the bill’s passing. We did it!
For a nationwide ban, please urge your Congress members to support the reintroduction of the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (#TEAPSPA).
Our family of rescued donkeys that roam the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary recently took in a young springbok who was rescued after being injured and chased to exhaustion by hunters with dogs. We had expected her to join the other antelope, instead she joined our family of donkeys, and on cold nights the adult donkeys gather around her and the infant donkeys to keep them warm.
Over 1,000 people, including members of Congress, watched Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro sign Colombia’s bullfighting ban into law at a celebration with music and speeches in Bogota’s bullring. ADI and Colombia Sin Toreo presented President Petro with an award recognizing his commitment to end the suffering. The ban will come into force in three years and will face challenges from the bullfighting lobby. Please help ADI keep working to protect the ban.
Five people were injured, with one man gored by a bull on the first day of the San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Spain, as terrified bulls are chased by mobs through the streets and later killed by bullfighters. Tourists continue to support this suffering which is sold as ‘tradition’. Help ADI continue the progress we have made in Latin America. Write to Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain and urge him to ban bull-runs and bullfighting.
Law 2047 banning animal testing of cosmetics which ADI worked with House Representative Juan Carlos Losada to secure in 2020 has come into force after a four-year implementation period. As well as prohibiting the experimentation, importation, manufacture and marketing of cosmetic products tested on animals, the law supports development and implementation of non-animal methods, and government action to publicize the ban. ADI Colombia is pressing the Government for a clear plan to monitor and enforce the ban.
Nine years ago US dentist Walter Palmer lured Cecil the lion from a protected reserve in Zimbabwe, wounded him with a bow and arrow and, hours later, shot him dead. The incident highlighted the wanton cruelty of trophy hunting and the disregard for basic conservation measures and protections – Cecil was even wearing a radio collar. Despite global outrage, the killing for kicks continues. The US imports more hunting trophies than any other country, and the previous UK Government failed on its promise to stop trophy hunting imports. It’s time for a real commitment for change.
Urge your US Congress members to support the Prohibiting Threatened and Endangered Creature Trophies (ProTECT) Act (HR7795), to prohibit taking and importing endangered or threatened species into the US as a trophy. In the UK, ask new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to bring in legislation to stop hunting trophy imports.
Alaska has prohibited using bait to attract brown bears for hunters to kill. Hunting has caused a decline of brown bears and disrupted ecosystems. The ban on baiting eliminates a particularly cruel and cowardly way of killing bears but other cruel methods of hunting and trapping remain unaddressed on Alaska’s national preserve lands.
Work has begun at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary to integrate Dhubiya, Saif (above) Aziza, and Muheeb, as either a single pride or two pairs. The four rescued from the Kuwait illegal wildlife pet trade have settled in well. Dhubiya and Aziza have been spayed so they don’t breed and to prevent the risk of pyometra and some cancers later in life. We have modified the habitats so the whole group can be rotated through the 2.5-acre area to get used to one another. It will be a slow process as we carefully monitor how they like each other. This will take some time, and we cannot guarantee success but we always work to try and avoid lions living alone.
The Opposing the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through Unethical Strategies (OCTOPUS) Act seeks to ban commercial octopus farming in the US and prohibit imports of farmed octopus. The sentience and intelligence of these animals, which are so essential to marine ecosystems, is increasingly recognised, octopus farming is environmentally damaging and leads to suffering and sickness. Washington state has already banned the cruel practice. Please urge your Senators to support the OCTOPUS Act.
Simba and Rey were rescued ten years ago by ADI from a circus in the Andes mountains, Peru. The Dodo has just made this video celebrating the remarkable lives and loyalty of these senior lions who crossed the mountains through sleet and snow and then the world to come home to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa.
Natural England issued permits to cull badgers as part of the former UK Government’s ill-considered policy to control bovine TB. This was despite their director of science Dr Peter Brotherton affirming: “based on the evidence, I can find no justification for authorising further supplementary badger culls in 2024 for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease and recommend against doing so”. Urge the UK Government to invest in an effective bovine TB plan which prioritises animal welfare.
Max Mara Fashion Group, one of the last fashion houses to sell fur, has gone fur-free. The fashion group’s 2,500 stores across 105 countries join luxury fashion houses including Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Gucci, and Versace, who have all said no to fur.
In the US, ADI and 50 other organizations and experts have sent a letter to the US Agriculture Committee leadership opposing a provision in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (HR 8467) which would earmark taxpayer dollars for the mink industry. A far better move would be to get HR3783 phasing out mink farming nationwide passed! Please urge your Congress members to support HR3783 .
The Josephine County Fair in Oregon, hosted Sea Lion Splash this month, with sea lions performing twice a day over five days. These animals travel the country in trailers with tiny portable pools and tanks. The show claims it’s “educational” but seals balancing balls and doing handstands and other tricks is anything but. Please urge the Josephine County Fair to stop hosting wild animal acts and exhibits. Call 541-476-3215. Email fairgrounds@josephinecounty.gov.
Did you know that you can support our work for the animals, at no additional cost to you? These are just some of the ways you can help:
Link your Ralphs (US) rewards card to Animal Defenders International and easily earn Community Rewards while you shop!
Walmart (US) allows you to round up your purchase total to the nearest dollar at checkout and donate the “change” to ADI.
Good Shop (US) links you to thousands of stores while donating a percentage of what you spend to ADI.
Easy Fundraising (UK) donates a percentage of your online purchases to ADI
Jan Creamer 