Thank you to everyone who has been supporting and sharing our appeals. In Kuwait and South Africa, we are working as quickly as possible through the legal requirements and import processes to bring Muheeb, Saif, Dhubiya, Saham, and Shujaa to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.
The ADIWS team has re-purposed old travel crates from the Guatemala rescue. They are now flat-packed and can be re-assembled in Kuwait. Qatar Airways has again come to our aid with their WeQare scheme to move the lions free of charge – including a sixth lioness we are hoping we can add to the rescue. We are sending a travel crate for her just in case.
The six lions have all been rescued from the illegal pet trade and are currently being cared for in Kuwait Zoo – we are grateful to the staff, volunteers, Leila, Zahra, government officials, who have given these lions a chance.
These lions are the victims of the desire to have a big cat as a status symbol, a cruel industry encouraged by irresponsible social media posts featuring captive big cats. Babies are taken from their mothers as early as possible and sold to unthinking owners, because they look cute. Separating cubs from their mothers early in life leaves them lonely and dependent on their captor for food, water, and attention. As they get bigger, they are expensive to feed and simply expressing themselves naturally can be dangerous and destructive. We were told that sometimes, these once-loved pets have been abandoned in the desert. Our rescued lions were illegal pets who were either confiscated, dumped in city streets, or surrendered by owners who realized their mistake and want their pets to have a better life.
WE NEED YOUR HELP FOR
- Flights and relocation – airport, customs, ground handling fees, truck transport in Kuwait and South Africa.
- Flights for the ADI team to assemble the crates, final flight, airport and road transport arrangements, loading and returning to South Africa with the lions.
- Care for life – this is the really big cost, as these are all young lions.
ADI Wildlife Sanctuary 