Everyone is increasingly aware of the economic as well as human devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing. The impact on donations to ADI has been shattering and we are working to ensure our survival and that all of our rescued animals are safe.
At the end of January, the 17 tigers and lions rescued by ADI from circuses in Guatemala touched down in South Africa and headed to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.
The timing now looks like one of the luckiest breaks ever!
UPDATE (April 10): South Africa lockdown has now been extended through the end of April.
Last night (23 March 2020), in an attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 3-week shut down in the country, from Thursday 26th March. All South Africans must stay at home – with exemptions for health and other essential workers. People will only be able to leave their homes to buy food, visit the pharmacy, seek medical care or to collect a social grant. All businesses will close, except for medical facilities pharmacies, laboratories, petrol stations and food stores. The shutdown is expected to be enforced by police and the military. South Africa has a young population but millions are vulnerable due to long-term disease, malnutrition and the healthcare system suffers an acute lack of resources.
Cases of people testing positive for COVID-19 are rising in South Africa. We have seen how quickly the supply of goods has unravelled in the UK and US, and worse is expected to come.
Hear freedom roar at this special screening of the award-winning feel-good movie Lion Ark, which we have rescheduled for Monday, June 29th in Sonoma, California (Note: Date likely to change — watch this space for updates). A benefit for the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, watch the drama unfold with the rescue team leaders as ADI tracks down the circuses in Bolivia and RESCUES EVERY ANIMAL.
Following a loss of appetite, we took Sombra – mother of our youngest tigers Max and Stripes – to the veterinary hospital where she was scanned, tested, and received treatment for low potassium levels, including intravenous feeding. It is likely Sombra will need supplements to help with this condition for the rest of her life. She is already on treatment to prevent her seizures (like her sisters Bimbi and Lupe), and she also has kidney problems.
Love is in the air at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary this Valentine’s Day, as it is year round. A forever home for our growing rescued big cat family, our place of loving kindness is the purrfect environment for the animals we save. Living among, and surrounded by nature…. instead of a life behind bars.
It seems hard to believe that only last week our rescued Guatemala animals arrived at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa! The last ten days have been a whirl of activity, settling in the animals, letting them become familiar with their new surroundings, and most importantly, reuniting them with their family.
In the late afternoon of Tuesday, January 21, the remaining 12 tigers and 5 lions rescued from circuses in Guatemala arrived at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, January 19, the 17 lions and tigers rescued from circuses in Guatemala were loaded onto trucks that would take them to the airport. It marked the beginning of a journey of a lifetime to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa, their forever home.