Kunduchi Pet Products rebranding with ADIWS info

Kunduchi Pet Products is a company based in South Africa that has been generously providing catnip for our lions and tigers’ enrichment, which is essential to their mental and physical health. Now they are rebranding their catnip packaging to include information on the ADI Widllife Sanctuary! Our thanks to Kunduchi Pet Products for helping to raise awareness about ADIWS, our rescued animals, and our work.

An update on Leo

It’s been just over a month since we said goodbye to Leo’s lifelong companion Muñeca, and we know many of you might be wondering how this gentle giant is coping without her.
 
The incredible ADI Wildlife Sanctuary team has been keeping a close eye on Leo to monitor his movements, providing extra attention, enrichment, and treats. By giving him smaller, more regular meals, the team is spending extra time interacting with him.

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A carousel for lions

Chino and Coco enjoy our latest addition to Kornberg Habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, a carousel on which tires and boxes stuffed with catnip hang. The playful boys love chasing and grappling with their toys. The brothers were rescued from a tiny cage in a circus in Peru where there was nothing to stimulate their mind or body, and no room to stretch their legs. Now at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in their native Africa, they get to explore the 2.5-acre Kornberg Habitat and they are regularly treated to enrichment, which is so vital to their health and wellbeing.

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Tomas: Home to Africa after detour

When Guatemala banned animals in circuses, Tomas was the first animal to be surrendered. But not to ADI, instead he went to a local zoo. Several months later when ADI began removing lions and tigers from circuses as part of the circus ban enforcement operation, the zoo decided it did not have the space for Tomas. Little did he know it, but as Tomas was moved on again, this time he had really caught a lucky break that would take him all the way home to Africa. The ADI Temporary Rescue Unit in Guatemala were only given 20 minutes notice that a lion was already on his way! We frantically moved ‘freedom’ cages around and prepared a space for Tomas. 14 months later, Tomas was on a flight with 12 tigers and 4 other lions home to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa.

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Playful Sasha

Sasha was rescued by ADI from a Guatemalan circus where her front toes were cut off to prevent her claws growing, crushing one toe in the process, which became infected and turned into cancer. Once at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa, Sasha underwent groundbreaking surgery, which involved replacing diseased bone with a titanium implant. Although now pain- and cancer-free, the tendons in her leg are contracted due to a lifetime of limping, so we are providing her with ongoing physiotherapy and rehabilitation – this tire filled with catnip, kindly provided by Kunduchi Pet Products – perfect to help keep this playful lioness mobile and her spirits high.

Tanya sleeping blissfully

The lions and tigers remained relaxed during the wildfire at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Many supporters have asked how stressed the animals were as the ADIWS team frantically fought the fire that surged into the sanctuary. We are pleased to say they remained very calm and were easily led to their safe zones. Some watched the team fighting the fire on the hillside, Sasha lioness kept playing with her toys, others seemed unaware of the drama unfolding. The ADIWS team, on the other hand, were very stressed indeed! The fire was extinguished yards from Tarzan and Tanya’s habitat – Tanya pictured sleeping blissfully here – but thanks to the heroic efforts of our team and our neighbors who helped fight the blaze, this was subdued and not the wall of flames that entered the sanctuary.

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Kesari’s tire swing

Kesari enjoys hanging tire enrichment, which we’ve loaded with the irresistible scent of catnip (kindly donated by Kunduchi Pet Products) and other essential oils. This impressive boy has the run of the Phillips Habitat at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary where we happily cater to his needs. ADI offered him a home after hearing that he was driven from his pride at Pretoria Zoo and for two years, spent most of his time in a night house due to lack of space. Thankfully the zoo waited for a safe home for him – had he been put up for auction, he could have ended up in the sights of a trophy hunter!

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