Lupe still fighting her circus past

An additional tragedy of captive animal abuse is that the impacts of their past can impact their lives long after they are rescued – many of you are following Ruben’s valiant battle to overcome the damage done to him. Our beloved Lupe, rescued from a circus in Guatemala is haunted by her past. The mother of tigers Max and Stripes – initially it was believed Sombra was the mother but it has been confirmed otherwise – she suffers seizures due to malnutrition and in-breeding in the circus. The seizures have already claimed her sisters Bimbi and Sombra who she lived with. She is medicated each day, Dr Caldwell continues to monitor and assess her treatment, and she is monitored in her main habitat with the ADIWS team on the alert for any problems. She lives alongside her boys Max and Stripes and they greet each other through the fence. The huge challenges she faces and the loss of her sisters has not broken the spirit of this warrior tigress and it is a joy to see her exploring and playing.

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Dream, Ruben, Dream

His mane full of catnip and hay, Ruben sleeps next to one of the catnip punchbags he has shredded. Eventually, he destroyed it completely. It’s just over a week since the battered old warrior arrived at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary from Armenia. He has felt grass beneath his feet for the first time, the African sun on his back, heard the voices of his own kind for the first time in six years and roared back. After he stepped from his ADI travel crate he headed straight to the catnip bag and played – his first toy. He fell asleep with his prize. He is more playful than we could have imagined when we saw him in Armenia. He plays with pumpkins, catnip sacks and boxes. His movement has improved, and we have huge hopes over time. Keep dreaming Ruben, your dreams may come true.

To help care for Ruben: Donate UK £ | Donate US $

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Boop my nose

Our beloved Leo, rescued from a circus in Peru, is still going strong. Even at 20 years old, he still likes to walk around his Abbey Habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Here he is coming up to say hello – or maybe for a treat? His wish is our command. He is a king, after all, and as many of you have seen from our Facebook lives, he gets the royal treatment when it’s dinnertime to ensure he eats all his food.

Please support our elderly lion’s care so he can continue to enjoy his golden years. Adopt Leo US $ | Adopt Leo UK £

Ruben is home at last

We did it!

Thanks to you, our fantastic supporters, Ruben is now safe in the land of his ancestors: Africa. As we watched Ruben take his first, magical steps onto South African soil on Friday morning, it made the trials and tribulations of the past 14 months worth it.

We were in Armenia for the countdown, finalizing his travel crate, and right up to take off we were facing obstruction, additional costs, and red tape.

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Ruben watch

Ruben has been watching from the crate. He is still sleepy. He was sedated for travel two days ago and today for a veterinary check, so is sleeping it off. He was covered with a shade cloth, and there was a nice breeze, but he has since been insulated with hay bales and will be monitored through the night. Earlier, Rey Ayacucho came over to watch him (third slide below).

He will do this in his own time. Follow us on Facebook for possible live streams tomorrow.

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Counting down to lonely lion Ruben’s flight

Greetings from a very hot Armenia where we are just four days away from the start of the move of lonely lion Ruben to a new life at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa.

The wonderful offer from Qatar Airways to move a larger than usual aircraft to one of their scheduled passenger routes from Armenia in order to donate space for Ruben has given us limited time between knowing the departure date and leaving, but we could not say no! Until the Qatar Airways’ WeQare charity scheme stepped in, Ruben’s options for leaving Armenia were looking very tough.

We have inspected Ruben’s crate – his first-class cabin – and after a few minor modifications, it is ready. A solid crate to one of our tried and tested designs.

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Send your love to Easy

Easy, our gentle lioness rescued from a circus in Colombia, has been thoroughly examined by Dr Peter Caldwell at Old Chapel Veterinary Clinic, with blood tests, an X-ray and a gastroscopy.
Preliminary findings reveal a low blood count and ulcerative colitis. Easy will remain in hospital while Peter investigates the cause and options for treatment. In the meantime, she is snuggling in her teff-filled room and being closely monitored by the veterinary team.

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