animal rescue

Meet Freya

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A new member of the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary family.

Freya was found stinking, dirty and in terrible condition in a sewer – the SPCA asked if we could help and how could we say “no” to that face. She’s two years old and seems to have spent all of that time as a stray.

Nicknamed “The Pocket Rocket”, she spends her days racing around the garden at Chris Lee Lodge (soon to be our visitor/volunteer housing), before collapsing at night on the bed of one of our team. She has already made friends with Rollo and Milo and we anticipate much high spirited mischief.

Remember there are dogs like Freya all over the world, please adopt, don’t buy.

Circus survivors Simba and Rey’s incredible life

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Check out this great video from The Dodo about two of the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary seniors Simba and Rey’s incredible life. Their rescue from a circus in Peru, a drive through the Andes Mountains, and flight to South Africa. Then after being apart for the first time in their lives, Simba and Rey’s reunion after Rey returned from a spell in hospital. Enjoy and thanks to the Dodo.

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10th Anniversary: Day 9 of emptying Peru’s animal circuses

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THE BATTLE TO EMPTY PERU’S ANIMAL CIRCUSES TURNS IN OUR FAVOR. Ten years ago today, ADI was nine days into the historic Operation Spirit of Freedom to enforce animal circus bans in Peru and Colombia. We had raided three circuses but were meeting fierce opposition and being blocked from removing all the animals. The whole momentum of the rescue would change on this day thanks to a lion called SMITH! That’s him in the first pic at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa and here’s how he changed everything and led to over 100 animals being saved.

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10th anniversary of massive rescue underway

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Ten years ago today, ADI raided the first circus in Peru enforcing the country’s ban on animals in circuses. It would be the first of many raids saving over 100 animals and today Leo and his sons Chino, Coco and Rolex were saved. First pic is Chino and Coco in the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary where they live today the others are from Jan and Tim’s phones as a dramatic day unfolded.

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Donkeys adopt Springbok

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The ADI Wildlife Sanctuary recently took in young Springbok rescued after being injured and chased to exhaustion by hunters with dogs.

We had expected her to join the other antelope that freely roam our 455-acre sanctuary in South Africa. However, she has been welcomed into our family of donkeys rescued last year after being abandoned at a tourist lodge that closed.

Two of the donkeys were pregnant when they arrived and so two baby donkeys, Nugget and Eeyore, have since been born at ADIWS bringing the herd to eight.

During cold nights the adult donkeys gather around the youngsters and springbok to keep them warm. The donkeys wander wherever they please on the sanctuary and are incredibly inquisitive, often coming up to look into the windows of the houses.

Remembering their journey to freedom

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On this Independence Day in the US, we celebrate with a look back at the Kuwait 6 lions’ journey to a new life in Africa. Less than two months ago, the young lions rescued from the illegal wildlife trade made the unforgettable journey from Kuwait to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa.

Dumped in the desert or streets of Kuwait City they were cared for at the Kuwait zoo until we were able to relocate them. Our thanks again to the staff and volunteers at the Kuwait zoo, Qatar Airways Cargo and their WeQare program for donating the flight, Dr Peter Caldwell, and everyone who came together to help give the lions a second chance at life they never knew existed.

Enjoy this photo gallery showing just how far Saif, Dhubiya, Muheeb, Aziza, Shujaa and Saham have come.

Celebrate their freedom by donating towards their care: Donate US$ / CA$ | Donate £ / Euros / Rand

‘Pet’ lions who were abandoned to die, start new life in Africa

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You did it! The Kuwait 6 lions are home at the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary.

Eleven days ago, we arrived in Kuwait to oversee the rescue of the Kuwait 6 lions – Muheeb, Saham, Shujaa, Saif, Dhubiya, and Aziza. We worked on the final paperwork, assessed the lions, planned the loading, confirmed truck rentals, and oversaw reconstruction of the travel crates we had sent flat-packed from South Africa. Our veterinarian Dr. Peter Caldwell arrived, confirmed the lions were fit to travel, and we were ready to go.

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