The master of relaxation

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Rolex, son of the beloved and dearly missed Leo and Muñeca, has been a resident of the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary since we built it, 5 years ago.

Rescued from a circus in Peru with his family, he was saved on the very first day of ADI’s Operation Spirit of Freedom in 2014, a mission enforcing Peru’s ban on wild animals in circuses. His mother and sisters were brought to safety a few months later.

ADI emptied every cage in this rescue mission lasting almost two years and saving over 100 animals including 33 lions!

Happy rescue anniversary Max and Stripes!

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Six years on from that junkyard rescue in Guatemala: how do you think Max and Stripes are doing?

The circus had been in hiding for months, but on November 10th 2018, an ADI team entered a junkyard with police and wildlife officials to rescue six month old Max and Stripes and four other tigers – all destined for the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa. Given a nutritious diet since the rescue the boys have grown bigger than all of the adult tigers saved that day. Today, they are confident, playful, roam acres of natural habitat with pools in Kakato Habitat and still live next to their mom Lupe.

Lupe’s Halloween treat after health scare

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We were over the moon to see Lupe back to her old self, enjoying a Halloween treat after suffering a seizure last week.

As ADI supporters know, the tigers we rescued from a circus in Guatemala have suffered from multiple health problems due to in-breeding and malnutrition early in life.

It is tragic how an early life poor care follows these tigers even after they are rescued. Heartbreakingly, four of the tigers we saved in 2018, Sombra, Bimbi, Itza, and Kumal passed away due to these issues.

The ADI Wildlife Sanctuary team keeps Lupe under close observation and Dr Caldwell monitors and adjusts her medication ­­­– her last seizure had been in June.

Lupe’s sons Max and Stripes, who live next door to her, appear to have avoided this problem. They were rescued by ADI at six months old, and so have enjoyed good nutrition from an early age, so have developed and grown larger and hopefully healthier than their parents.

On the prize, Smith flies

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Smith has faced several health challenges in recent years but you wouldn’t believe it when he caught sight of a Halloween pumpkin on one of his platforms at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary and launched himself at it.

This picture shows why enrichment is so important for captive animals, giving them different experiences and keeping them mentally and physically stimulated.

Ten years ago Smith was the most famous lion in the world after a clip went viral of him dragging an audience member around a circus ring in Peru. A particularly irresponsible circus act, in which Smith was meant to jump over a member of the audience, went wrong. As a result ADI rescued Smith and all of the other animals that remained in the circus.

Ten years on you can see just how powerful he is and just how stupid it was to put a member of the public in a circus ring with him!

Happy Halloween Smith.