WE ALWAYS TRAVEL WITH ADI… Well, it may look like an advert for ADI rescue and relocations, but it’s actually Africa and Kiara2 making the most of crate familiarization time at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. We pride ourselves on avoiding using anesthetics to move our rescues. That’s achieved by keeping them calm, trusting, and familiar with their travel crates and never afraid. Africa and Kiara2 were among 33 lions airlifted from Peru and Colombia as ADI emptied circuses there – the biggest airlift of its kind. Now, they are preparing for a much shorter relocation within the Sanctuary, as part of what we are calling “operation lonely hearts”. Our aim to bring together seven lions in three groups – David & Easy; Africa, Kiara2 and Rolex; Bumba and Iron.
Continue readingRoads for lions and tigers
When it rains in South Africa, it pours! Our habitats are green and lush and our natural wells feeding the residents’ habitats are full, but with more rains than usual this year, WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. Our lion and tiger habitats cover over 60 acres and are connected by almost two miles of internal dirt roads, which are becoming increasingly churned up and on certain days, some are impassable.
Roads may not seem as exciting as flights or new habitats for rescued animals, but they are vital for lifelong feeding and daily care. Without these roads, we will be unable to add habitats to rescue more animals and run the risk of being prevented from getting a sick lion or tiger to hospital during heavy rains.
Continue readingHome sweet home for Leo and Muñeca
Big developments at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary as we start bringing together some key groups of animals: Easy with David, sisters Kiara2 and Africa with brother Rolex, and Iron with Bumba. Several of these animals have been sharing territory for some time, but we will be placing all (except Easy and David) in new, neutral territory, to start their new lives together. As part of this, one of our established pairs, Leo and Muñeca (rescued by ADI from a circus in Peru in 2014), have moved next door to Augie Habitat, from their Abbey Habitat. This is a lovely, very similar habitat to Abbey, and should give the pair an interesting change of scenery as they have always enjoyed exploring. It had been a while since Leo and Muñeca were in their travel crates, so we had three days of crate familiarization, to allow them to wander freely in and out of their crates, and have their meals in the crates. Once they were comfortable, we closed the crates and moved them to Augie Habitat where they first got oriented in the feeding camp and house.
Continue readingChino and Coco enjoy the morning sun
Chino and Coco, two lions rescued from a circus in Peru by ADI, enjoying the morning sunshine at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary South Africa. The boys share the 2.5 acre Kornberg Habitat and anyone joining the ADIWS volunteer programme will almost certainly go to sleep and wake up to their roars and open their curtains in the morning to see the boys watching for the arrival of their breakfast. The launch of our sanctuary volunteer scheme was halted by the pandemic but we hope to have it up and running as soon as possible.
Want to know what it takes to rescue animals like Chino and Coco? Check out rescue documentary Lion Ark which is available to stream for the first time on EarthStream.app. As a special promotion, for every subscription made though this link, $30 (normally $20) will go to ADI and directly benefit our rescued animals. Click here to subscribe and tune in.
Two years on: the Guatemala lions and tigers in Africa
Were you watching as the lions and tigers rescued from circuses in Guatemala crossed the globe, stopping in Mexico, Belgium and Qatar on their way to a new life at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa? The flight of the 17 lions and tigers marked the end of a very tough 18-month enforcement operation of Guatemala’s ban on animal circuses. Fast forward two years, here they are now, at ADIWS this week.
Their lives changed under ADI care – from the day we removed them from the circus cages and put them in our Temporary Rescue Unit, they got to run and play on grass for the first time ever, and nobody can forget how the tigers splashed around in their first pools!
Continue readingCaring for circus survivors Simba and ReyA
Simba and Rey are up and roaring again after a visit from Dr Caldwell. The lions and tigers at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary come from some of the worst possible conditions. In-breeding, malnutrition, physical abuse (blows to the head and smashed teeth), lack of exercise and years living confined on bare urine-soaked boards take their toll. Old age can come early for these warriors. Heartbreakingly, last week, years of abuse caught up with dear Bolillo rescued from a circus in Colombia.
Continue readingFarewell, Bolillo
It is with great sadness that we report that dear Bolillo has passed away. Like many of our circus survivors, almost a decade in a tiny circus cage, enduring abuse and poor nutrition in Colombia, took its toll on this senior lion. In October, after his last hospitalization, Bolillo was on palliative care for his arthritis and failing kidneys – we kept him comfortable as possible in his African home. He continued to enjoy life, slowly pottering around Augie Habitat dozing under the trees. Then in the past week Bolillo retreated to the safety of his house, venturing out only to bask in the sunshine, his appetite failing. He was clearly unhappy and uncomfortable and it was becoming hard to entice him to even take his medication treats. Dr Caldwell came to see him and under anaesthetic, discovered in addition to his deteriorating bones and kidneys, Bolillo had a large stomach tumour. It was time to do the kindest thing for him (and the toughest for us) and say goodbye to our elderly trooper.
With his spectacular mane, Bolillo had the air of a high court judge. He came across as an old-fashioned gentleman. He was one of our Colombian pride of nine, rescued over seven and a half years ago and taken into our temporary rescue center in Bucaramanga. The pictures of the lions in their circus cages were haunting; they looked completely broken and were some of the most heartbreaking we have seen. Released from the circus and in ADI’s care, they regained their spirits and love of life and finally, we returned them to the land of their forefathers Africa.
When ADI rescues large numbers of animals from a circus the beatings, horrific conditions, poor food, in-breeding and lack of veterinary care, we know that early suffering will likely begin to catch up with them in later life. This has been the case over the past 18 months with the loss of several senior members of the Colombian pride. Although their lives have been shortened by circus life, it is a comfort that they got to live and roar as lions should.
So, although we are heartbroken to say “goodbye”, we celebrate his great escape from the circus and those years under the African sun. Farewell Bolillo, it was an honour to know you and a privilege to care for you.
Thank you to everyone who helped give this lion those precious years of freedom and living as a lion should. Please continue to support the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary and give others like our beloved Bolillo a new life.
Sunset with the Cusco family
Good night from the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa. Could there be a better way to finish the day? These lions, Amazonas, Mahla, Kiara1 and Scarc, rescued from circus cages in Peru certainly don’t think so! Refreshed with summer rains the Sanctuary is at its most beautiful and our work re-wildling and encouraging the wild flowers to flourish is paying off, flowers, bees, butterflies and other wildlife are everywhere.
After months of travel restrictions due to the pandemic, Jan and Tim returned to the Sanctuary this week and enjoyed this greeting from the family rescued over seven years ago, a reminder of why we built a sanctuary in Africa. We hope to be starting Facebook live from the Sanctuary again soon after a long absence!
This beautiful landscape is why the summer rains are so welcome, but it also brings its challenges. Our natural lion and tiger habitats cover over 70 acres. Access is almost entirely by dirt roads, which become less and less useable with every rain storm. We have lots of lovely life-giving water above and below ground, and it is creating streams across the land. We urgently need to lay gravel on our most important roads, as well as some small bridges, to allow the natural water courses to flow to the lake. Our roads are vital to take food, medicines and other supplies to the animals, for veterinary care and for general safety and security monitoring. Can you help? If you can buy a road (or a bridge) for the animals, you can choose its name! You will be remembered forever. Roads are more exciting than you may think! They are the veins which bring life across the Sanctuary. Why not sponsor a road (or a bridge!), today? It’s $4,000 to sponsor and name an entire internal road.
Habitat expansion for our lions and tigers
350,000sq.ft lion and tiger habitat expansion is underway at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary and should be completed in February or March. This will provide more space for the Guatemala lions and for tigers who now need their own habitats due to health issues.
The tiger territory work began this month, thanks to the support of Dr. April Fong of MaxiPro (Asia) Ltd., and ADIWS founder Dr. Lo Sprague. When complete the territory will have five main habitats, five smaller feeding camps and four double tiger houses. The largest section (over 5 acres) will become home to Luna, Jade, Sun and Moon (Spice Girls) and is named Kakato by Dr. April Fong. Dr. Sprague will be naming two habitats.
ADIWS founder Dr. Betsy Coville has funded two more lion habitats, bringing her sponsorship to seven beautiful homes for lions! Named after her lifelong rescued dogs and cats, the habitats are called Camo, Augie, Abbey, Davis, Sam&Eric, Jacque and Avi! The road that connects these is called ‘Coville Lane’.
This sponsorship covers the single biggest cost of the habitats – the fencing, at $20,000 per 2.5 acres. On Giving Tuesday, supporters raised the funds to build a house for Tarzan and Tanya in Jacque Habitat, and Trees for Tigers USA are sponsoring the trees for all of the new habitats. So, we need to raise funds now for a lion house in Avi habitat, along with water supply and platforms.
Make their season merry and bright
The rescued lions and tigers at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary are already tearing open Christmas presents – brightly wrapped boxes stuffed with hay and catnip and watermelons – thanks to ADI supporters. Enrichment like this is fun and serves a serious purpose, keeping the animals engaged mentally and physically – something our circus survivors never got to enjoy before their rescue. A huge thank you to Annabella Guiette for kickstarting our holiday appeal with treats for the lions and tigers. Watch out for our video on Christmas of all the fun.
Can you help keep the festivities going?
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ADI Wildlife Sanctuary 